Chapter 7

Newspapers

Forerunners

• Rome—acta diurna (daily acts)• Venice—16the century sold for first time for a

gazetta• Corantos Germany 1609/London 1621• Amsterdam in multiple languages• 1665 Oxford Gazette/later London Gazette first

English language paper• 1702 Daily Courant first English Daily• All were censored by government

Colonial Era1690-1820

• Benjamin Harris 1690 Publick Occurences Both Foreign and Domestic

• Government put him out of business; he was very seditious both in England and the Colonies

• Boston News-Letter 1704• Postmasters are early publishers;appointed by

government • Early papers dealt with British news approved by

the Crown

John Peter Zenger

• 1733 New York Weekly Journal

• Wrote attacks on Governor William Cosby

• Found not guilty of libel

• Sent message that public was no longer going to remain compliant to government suppression of the press

The Revolution

• Most colonial newspapers were published by printers by trade

• All were fairly loyal UNTIL• British Parliament passed Stamp Act in

1765; this taxed all legal documents, books, newspapers, etc.

• Followed by the Townsend Acts; taxed tea, wine, oil, etc

Taxation without Representation

• This begins publishing’s attack on the government and first calls for revolution

• Articles of Confederation 1781• Constitution 1787• Federalist Papers

– New York newspapers – Series of articles defending constitution aid in

its ratification

Two Party System

• Two Party System of Government begins early with:– Federalists Alexander Hamilton– Republicans Thomas Jefferson– Newspapers took sides and sometimes were actually

operated by one of the parties

• Alien and Sedition Acts (not again!)• Mercantile newspapers—business news /The

Courier, The Enquirer, and the Journal of Commerce

Penny Press Era1833-1865

• Begins Popular Stage of EPS Cycle

• 1833 Benjamin Day New York Sun

• Aimed at public; cost only “pennies”;

• Therefore, common man could afford it

• Up until this, elite only

• Large circulation begins (rotary press)

• Morse, AP, syndicates begin

Inverted Pyramid

• All elements of the story should appear in the first paragraph: who, what, where, when, why and how

• Still used today

• Originally, from telegraph transmissions that were interrupted during the Civil War

Yellow Journalism Era1865-1900

• The change in this country in this 35 year period is dramatic

• Civil War

• Population doubles

• Industrial Revolution

• Saw first real competition between newspapers

The Players

• Joseph Pulitzer New York World– Wanted accuracy

– Wanted reform and to use newspapers to affect change

• William Randolph Hearst New York Journal– Also originally crusades for use of newspapers to

protect public

• Edward Wyllis Scripps Cleveland– He too originally fought for justice through newspaper

content

Yellow Journalism

• Scandalous

• Sex

• Violence

• Promotional stunts

• Anything to outsell the others

• Sound familiar?

The Good Side

• Pulitzer’s name becomes associated with the most prestigious prize in journalism

• Hearst’s career becomes classic film Citizen Kane

• Scripps establishes UPI in 1907

20th Century Press1900-Present

• Enter the voice of reason• Adolph Ochs New York Times 1896• Objective coverage• All the News That’s fit to Print• Still on the banner; still considered the

paper of record by many• Offshoot: needed outlet for yellow

journalism

20th Century Continued

• Jazz journalism; jazz it up• Jazz age of 1920s• Forerunners of National Enquirer and other

tabloids• Tabloid is actually a half sheet of

newspaper; it originally meant the size of the actual paper

• New York Illustrated Daily News

EPS Cycle

• American Newspaper stay in popular stage

• Some exceptions:– African American– Latino– Native American– Non-English Language

EPS Exceptions

• Freedom’s Journal 1827 John B. Russwurm and Reverend Samuel Cornish—pre-Civil War

• Other African American journalists of 20th century were Charlotta Bass of Los Angeles published California Eagle

• El Misisipi New Orleans 1808• Cherokee Phoenix North Georgia 1828• Cherokee—Sequoia developed an 80 character

alphabet; oral tradition• Village Voice New York City “alternative”

More EPS

• All of these papers were used to present alternate ideas and change perceptions and treatment of groups of people

• Rolling Stone sells out/Clay from American Idol

• ONA On-line News Association– Advertising guidelines

• What is the future?