HISTORY OF NEWSPAPERS IN

AMERICAHelping a democratic nation make

historic decisions

America’s first newspapersSmall, one-sheet wondersLetters, essays, and material borrowed from whatever source the editor could find.Sometimes had space for public comment.Passed from reader to reader.

Publick Occurences, at right, was published in 1690 in Boston by Benjamin Harris. After only one issue, the British colonial authorities suppressed it because they didn’t like what Harris printed. Fourteen years later, the first continuously published newspaper, The Boston News-Letter, was edited by John Campbell.

First Newspaper CartoonBenjamin Franklin, 1754

Establishment of the Free Press Newspapers that criticized the government were

guilty of “sedition,” the stirring of rebellion; truth was no defense.

1735 – In the New York Weekly Journal, John Peter Zenger printed articles critical of Gov. William Crosby. Zenger was jailed for attacks on the British Crown, regardless of the truth of his statements.

Atty. Andrew Hamilton defended Zenger; admitted his guilt in the matter, but defended his right to speak the truth in the pursuit of freedom.

Jury agreed!

Birth of a NationBy 1775, when the revolution began, 37 newspapers were being published.Those newspapers generally aligned with the patriots, partly because of their anger over the Stamp Act.Newspapers backed Revolutionaries and printed the cries to battle that rallied the rebels.For the next century, papers lined up deliberately with political parties – Whig or Tory.

Spreading the words After the Revolution, the newspaper

industry grew rapidly. Freedom of the press guaranteed in many

state constitutions, as well as in the Bill of Rights.

The first daily, the Pennsylvania Post, was founded in 1783.

The first student newspaper, the Students Gazette, was founded in 1777, Friends Latin School, Pennsylvania.

The Penny Press Early papers carried very little actual news.

They were filled with lots of opinions – essays letters and editorials.

1833 – Benjamin Day founded the New York Sun, filled it with news and sold it for a penny.

Covered the police beat, wrote about tragedies and natural disasters, toned down opinions.

Delivered by street sales, inexpensive Working class audience Advertising took on a major role

Other successes Founded in 1841, the New York Tribune

was one of most influential penny presses; 200,000 subscribers, most during that time.

Horace Greeley – social reformer New York Times, founded in 1851 by

Henry Raymond; focused on fairness and accuracy

“All the news that’s fit to print.”

Early 20th CenturyBy the 1930s, most newspapers had the ability to run cartoons, photos and wide headlines.News became departmentalizedHeadlines larger, stacked headlines eliminated.Era of big-city tabloids, packed with photos and sensational sledgehammer headlines.

Not-too-distant pastMore and bigger photosMore refined headline typeMove to 6-column pageGutter between columns of type instead of rules.Full color available in the 1980s.

Current Trends

Front page formatting; big stories demand big play; front page menus..