Newspapers Flashcards
Newspapers
Mix of new and old
News gathering, story writing and layout are well into the digital age…
But the final product still consumes vast amounts of paper and ink
still principally distributed by minimum wage and children work force.
Today’s Problems for Newspapers
Despite declines in circulation newspapers are still profitable, so far.
How do they get online readers to pay?
will continue to morph from hardcopy and online in the years ahead. Those that do not are apt to wither.
Many assets will be gobbled up by newspaper chains and conglomerates
To survive newspapers have always had to change…
make compromises with commercial interests and political powers.
Yet even with these limitation the Idealization of a “free press,”runs deep in our culture beliefs
European origins and the American Revolution.
Thirty Years war (1618 –1648)
advent of irregular news sheets in Holland, England & France
To bring word of foreign events, as well as commercial and economic issues.
Shortly thereafter came dailies focused on foreign events.
Freedom of the Press did not exist at that time
Initially there was no freedom of the press.
To control content, European governments granted licenses to print newspapers and other printed materials
This was the time of the rise of market competition for goods in Europe
and simultaneously the appearance of the concept of a market place of ideas… including the advocacy of democracy…
Thought leaders of that Time
John Stuart Mill and Edmund Burke.
Promoted the need for an informed citizenry
and a free press to assist wide circulation of ideas
The Colonial Era and the Revolution:
Early American newspapers struggled against the control of the authorities and gave birth to the mythic ideal of a “Free Press”
The First paper in the colonies:
Publick Occurences Both Foreign and Domestick,1690 in Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Benjamin Harris was publisher.
Stories exasperated the British Crown and the Puritan authorities.
It was shut down after only one issue.
Next came the Boston Newsletter
1704 with notice that it was publish by authority of the royal governor. (John Campbell publisher)
Consisted of news from Europe, notice of arrivals and departures of ships, summaries of sermons, legal and death notices.
1721, James Franklin started New England Current
with no “ by authority approval” … he was jailed and forbidden to publish.
His brother became the new editor… he soon moved to Philadelphia,
Who? Why PA? Who can hazard a guess?
Famous test of press free came in 1734
New York Weekly Journal
Peter Zenger jailed for criminal libel for editorially criticizing the British Governor of NY.
His attorney argued the truth of a published piece was in an of itself a defense against libel.
His attorney Andrew Hamilton
Appealed directly to the jury and not to precedent in British law.
Now a days this is called jury nullification.
This established the principle that true statements are not libel.
First of many instances of the Colonial press thumbing their noses at British
1765 Stamp Act
Taxed each printed sheet and advertisement in all colonial newspapers…
Provoking the famous outcry “No taxation without representation”
Add fuel to the fire of the growing revolutionary movement.
Politicized Colonial Press
A politicized press emerged voicing political opinion, comment as well as the news
Printers were a central catalyst of revolutionary struggle.
Many partisan newspapers & presses continued to publish during the revolution… despite paper and ink shortages.
Published key documents like the Declaration of Independence.
After the Revolution
Newspapers provided the outlets to inform and inflame the public regarding the development of the new country
Constitution… Federalist Papers by Madison, Hamilton and Jay appeared in newspapers and press handouts.
Freedom of the Press was formally established as an integral feature and basic principle at …
the United States Constitutional Convention in 1787.
First Amendment
Congress shall make no laws respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof, or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
But after the federalist were elected,
they found the freedom of the press to be rather inconvenient to exercising power and authority…
Alien and Sedition Acts
Enacted in1798
Attempted to limit seditious speech
Expired in 1800 and were not renewed in the face of overwhelming consensus for freedom of the press.
Benjamin Franklin
Became a successful publisher on the strength of his ability to attract advertisers…
Established the first daily newspaper Pennsylvania evening Post & Daily Advertiser in 1783.
By 1800
Most large cities in the U.S. had at least one daily newspaper…
But circulation was limited
Low rates of literacy
$$$ of newspapers.