The History of American Media

Journalism and American History Early newspapers printed essays that stirred the revolutionaries and that chronicled the historic break from England Today journalists still help set the agenda. Journalists help a democratic nation make historic decisions by providing facts and opinions needed to elect the leaders who decide national policy.

America’s first newspapers Did not look like the papers of today—they were usually one sheet and made up of letters, essays, etc. Publick Occurrences was the first newspaper. It was published in Boston in 1690 by Benjamin Harris. It was ended by the government after one issue.

First Continually Published Paper The Boston News-Letter, started by John Campbell in 1704 It was published “by authority”—it had the government’s approval More and more papers emerged as pioneers moved south and west.

Freedom of the Press Early newspapers that criticized the government were guilty of sedition (the stirring of rebellion). The truth of their statements was no defense. In 1735, John Peter Zenger printed articles critical of the Governor William Cosby. He was arrested and thrown into jail.

Freedom of the Press Because Zenger printed attacks on the British crown, he was guilty of libel, even if the statements were true. Andrew Hamilton defended him and appealed to the jury that everyone has the right to speak and write freely—as long as it is the truth. The jurors deliberated briefly and found Zenger not guilty.

The Birth of the Nation The Zenger trial fanned the flames of freedom that were beginning to burn in the colonies. By 1775, when the Revolution began, 37 newspapers were being published They backed the Revolution and printed the cries to battle that rallied the rebels. Some say there would not have been a Revolution without the support of the press.

The Birth of a Nation When the war ended, the framers of the Constitution did not spend much time on the freedom of the press, because most states already covered the matter. However, the Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791. In it, the First Amendment guaranteed the freedom of the press.

The Birth of a Nation After the Revolution, the nation grew rapidly, and so did the newspaper industry. The first student newspaper, The Students Gazette, was founded in Pennsylvania, in 1777. The first daily, The Pennsylvania Post, was founded in 1783.

The Penny Press Early papers had little actual news, but in 1833, Benjamin Day founded the New York Sun and filled it with news and sold it for only a penny. Day’s staff covered the police beat, wrote about tragedies and natural disasters, and toned down the opinions. This was the “penny press” and was the forerunner of today’s newspapers.

The Penny Press Because it was so inexpensive and was distributed widely, it developed a large audience. Advertising began to take a major role. (which is still what funds newspaper today) Two years later, James Gordon Bennett started the New York Morning Herald—selling for two cents, and more and more were founded in the years to come.

The Penny Press One of the most influential was the New York Tribune founded by Horace Greeley in 1841—its weekly edition had more than 200,000 subscribers. The New York Times, was founded in 1851 by Henry Raymond. It is considered one of the best newspapers in the country. It was not unusual for a city to have 8 or 9 competing newspapers.

The Effect of the Telegraph During the Civil War the telegraph began to be used to transmit stories. Shortly afterwards, the first news-gathering service was formed. This service, a forerunner of the Associated Press, began selling news to papers in 1849. By 1910, there were 2,600 daily newspapers in the United States.

Yellow Journalism An unethical irresponsible brand of journalism that involved hoaxes, altered photographs, screaming headlines, “scoops,” frauds, and endless promotions. The most notable of the yellow journalists were William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer. Their newspapers were in constant competition.

The Advent of Radio Regular daily programs started in the US (Detroit) in 1920

The Advent of Radio The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) was formed in 1926 and the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) in 1927.

The Advent of Radio Radio still occupies an important place in the media Most stations still play music mixed with news, and millions of Americans get their first word of major news events from radio as they drive to or from work or school.

The Impact of Television The first television newscast took place in 1940 TV dramatically changed radio and newspapers. It took much of the entertainment role away from radio and claimed much of the breaking news role traditionally held by newspapers. Papers today put less emphasis on breaking news.