1. Journalism: From Past to Present

2. America’s First Newspapers
What are some characteristics of this newspaper?
Would you want to read this?

3. Would you want to read this?

4. The First Papers
Often 1 sheet long and contained letters and essays. What do newspapers today contain?
No pictures, just text
First paper published was Publick Occurences by Benjamin Harris in 1690

5. Freedom of the Press
Newspapers often criticized the government freely and openly. Can they do this today?
What kind of stories are found in newspapers? Do you ever feel like they are biased toward certain topics?

6. The John Peter Zenger Trial
1735
In his newspaper, the New York Weekly Journal, he printed articles criticizing Governor William Cosby.
Wrote few of the articles himself
Arrested on a charge of seditious libel and jailed
New York Governor William Cosby
John Peter Zenger

7. What happened next?
“I hope it is not our bare printing or publishing a paper that will make it a libel. For the words themselves must be libelous, that is false, or else we are not guilty.” -Hamilton
Best attorney of that period
Defended Zenger
In his 80’s
Andrew Hamilton

8. So what was the verdict? Not Guilty! Why?
Hamilton convinced the jury that what Zenger said was the TRUTH and that was more important than anything. The truth needed to be spoken.

9. What is this?
Telegraph
Reporters at Civil War battle sites began to use this to transmit their stories around 1861.

10. Inverted Pyramid Developed as a result of the telegraph
To ensure that the outcome of the battle got into the story in case the telegraph broke down during transmission
Give the most important information first

11. Muckracking American newspapers developed a social consciousness.
Many papers crusaded for child-labor laws, promoted hospitals, collected money for the needy, and exposed public graft. Critics called these journalists muckrackers, coined by Theodore Roosevelt.

12. Magazines
Magazines began to join the fight for social justice that the newspapers had begun.
The Pure Food and Drugs Act of 1906 was developed, as well as many other reforms during this time.
(Federal inspection of all meats)

13. The Chicago Defender Robert S. Abbott Founded by Abbott in 1905
Abbott’s parents were slaves.
Took lead in encouraging Southern blacks to move to the North in search for better jobs in that region’s industries.
Robert S. Abbott
The first to give African Americans a public forum for addressing civil rights and other issues

14. In 1916, Dr. Lee De Forest made the first newscast.
Radio
Federal Communications Commission: has jurisdiction, though not censorship power, over both radio and TV
In 1916, Dr. Lee De Forest made the first newscast.

15. Shock Jocks Howard Stern Began to dominate the air waves in the 1990’s
Make careers out of being insulting and outrageous, saying whatever comes to mind
Is this legitimate journalism?
Journalism is objective and untainted.
Howard Stern

16. The Impact of Television
First TV newscast took place in the 1940’s.
By the mid-1960’s, more than 60 million TV sets were in use.
30 years later, the number exceeded 90 million.
Claimed the “breaking news” role over newspapers and radio.

17. Sensationalism
Daytime talk shows featuring dysfunctional guests with unconventional relationships and lifestyles
Serious news became hard to find in the 1990’s.
Even traditional papers began running more “trash” news at the expense of serious news.

18. The Effect of Technology
The Internet was the great media advance of the 20th century.
Getting the news is quick and efficient.