8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers1 Print, News, and Newspapers MIT202
Print/Modes of Reading 1. Individualism 2. “Dangers” of Private Reading 3. Mobile Reading 4. Silent/Vocalized Reading 5. Middle/Upper Classes Working Classes 8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers2
Women Readers 1. Fear unleashed emotions 1. Novels/fiction 2. Bible/devotional works 3. Challenge to patriarchal authority 8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers3
Print/Modes of Reading 1. Critical Reading 2. Intensive to Extensive Reading 3. Format Changes 8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers4
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers5 Reformation/Printing (1520s to 1640s) 1. Printing Press not “causal” 2. Variety of Printed Matter 1. Information Supply, not advance Literacy 3. Illiterates and New Ideas
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers6 Reformation 1. Vernacular Bible 1. German, etc. 2. Catholic Prohibition 2. Bible Reading/Personal Salvation 3. Counter-Reformation
Censorship Catholic Church –Index of Prohibited Books Protestant theology Erasmus, Machiavelli, Dante England: Stationer’s Co. 1550s/1790s Inspect manuscripts before printing 8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers7
Censorship Effects 1. Interest in banned titles 2. Clandestine publishing & communication 3. Printing abroad 4. Allegory 8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers8
Print Culture 1. Fixity of Texts 2. Accumulation of Knowledge 3. Destabilize Knowledge 4. Additive not Substitutive 8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers9
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers10 Pre-Newspaper/Printing Press Communication Networks (early 1400s) 1. Catholic Church 2. State/Political Authorities 1. Administration of Territory 2. Diplomacy 3. Commerce 4. Itinerant Peddlers 1. Balladeers, entertainers, merchants
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers11 New Communication Networks (15 th/ 16 th centuries) Postal Services France, 1464, Royal Post Hapsburg, 1500s England (1500s) 1700s: networks throughout Europe Slow
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers12 Printed News (late 1400s) 1. Leaflets, broadsheets, posters 2. distant news 3. hawkers
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers13 Early Newspapers (Corantos) 1. Corantos 1. weekly journals German cities, Postmaster as news provider 3. Thomas Archer, 1621-
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers14 English Civil War & Newspapers Press freedom 3. Growth of newspapers 1. pamphlets, political tracts 4. Domestic news 5. Restoration (1660) & press control 6. Monopolies of Knowledge/dialectic
British Newspapers 1. Samuel Buckley, Daily Courant, Specialized papers : 5 dailies; 5 weeklies 1. some w/100,000+ circ. 2. postal/countryside 4. Coffee houses, taverns 1. Readership/Circulation 2. J. Habermas/Public Sphere 8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers15
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers16 Stamp Acts/Press Freedom 1. Stamp Act, State Revenue/Press Restraint 3. Curb Abuse of State Power 4. Stamp Act, 1765, (US) 5. Freedom of Press 1. First Amendment of US Constitution
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers17 British North America/Canada 1. None in New France 2. Halifax Gazette, Quebec Gazette, Upper Canada Gazette (1793) state 5. Canada Constellation (1798) private
Upper Canada, 19 th century Growth: 1. Immigration, economic development 2. Growth of towns with newspapers /8/2015 MIT202Newspapers18
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers19 Upper Canada Newspapers (pre/post 1820) Polite Sociability 1. Essays/letters 2. Morals/manners 3. History/literature 4. Genteel/Cultivate mind 5. Not discuss politics 6. State organs (some) 7. “Polite conversation” Democratic Sociability 1. Reflect/Create public opinion 2. Partisanship 3. Discuss Legislative topics 4. Government watchdog 5. Responsible Govt (Legislature/Council)
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers20 Newspapers/Rights of Citizens 1. Joseph Howe 1. Nova Scotian Newspaper: defender of people vs. arbitrary state 3. Responsible Government 4. Publisher-Editor-Politician
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers21 Politicized Newspapers Editor-Politicians 1. Opinionated Press 1. Etienne Parent (Le Canadien) 2. William Lyon Mackenzie (Colonial Advocate) 2. Responsible Government Rebellion Mackenzie: Publisher-Editor- Politician-Armed Rebel
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers22 Disseminating Newspapers 1. Postal Networks 2. Preferential rates 1. Heavily subsidized 2. Lax enforcement 3. Newspaper Agent 4. Media as Complex, Integrated Systems
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers23 Readers (Upper Canada) 1. Circulation rates: Growth 2. Social classes of readers 3. Subscription Costs 4. Reading aloud/sharing newspapers 1. Non-paying readers
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers24 Civic and Mass Newspaper
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers25 Yellow Press/Mass/Entertainment Newspaper Joseph Pulitzer (World), Advertising over subscription 2. Sensationalism 1. Local news, crime, scandal 3. Entertainment 4. Self-Advertising 5. Illustrations 6. Large Headlines 7. ‘Use-paper’ 8. Commuter Friendly 9. Lead/Inverted Pyramid
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers26 Mass/Entertainment Newspaper (CDA) Hugh Graham Montreal Star 1880s John R. Robertson Toronto Telegram 1. Advertising 2. Higher Costs 3. Local news (crime, scandal) 4. Entertainment over information function
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers27 From Civic to Mass Newspaper Civic Newspaper ( ) (Democratic Sociability) 1. Political advocate 2. Public defender 3. Public responsibility 4. Civic education 5. Editor-publisher, small shop 6. Opinion-making 1. Editorial pages 7. Public record of legislative proceedings 8. “public utility” Mass Newspaper (1890-) 1. Commercial Enterprise 2. Advertising reliant 3. Corporations & Chains (Southam, Sifton, Thomson) 4. Heavily capitalized 5. Decline of editorial pages 6. Less partisan 7. higher circulation, fewer newspapers 8. READERSHIP OVER PARTISANSHIP
8/8/2015 MIT Space-Biased Media (Innis) 1. Dialectic 1. liberty & monopolies of knowledge 2. Printing Press 2. Balance: 1. time/space 2. centrifugal/centripetal 3. democratic society
8/8/2015 MIT202Newspapers29 Newspaper: Summary Corantos Press Freedom Democracy/Responsible Government Postal System Polite Sociability/Democratic Sociability Civic Newspaper/Mass Newspaper Public Opinion/Commercial Profit Circulation/Subscription/Advertising News as Commodity