Download - Newspapers
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NewspapersReflection of a
Democratic Society
Inventing the Modern Press
• Martin Luther and John Calvin: published newspaper-like
broadsheets in the 1500s
• Newspapers first appeared in England in the 1620s.
• Publick Occurrence: first newspaper in the American colonies (1690)
• Boston News Letter: first to publish multiple issues (1704)
Benjamin and James Franklin
• James started the New England Courant in 1721: first newspaper published
without approval of the British government
• 16-year-old Benjamin takes over after James is jailed.
• Benjamin Franklin purchased the Pennsylvania Gazette in 1729: featured first political
cartoon introduced the weather
report as a regular feature
The Penny Press: Newspapers for the People
• Before 1830s, papers contained shipping news and political essays. designed primarily for the wealthy elite underwritten by political parties expensive, as much as 6 cents a day
• Average worker might make 85 cents a day
available only by annual subscription, paid in advance
Penny Press (cont.)
• September 3, 1833—Benjamin Day begins publishing the New York Sun:
paper’s motto was “It shines for all”
inexpensive, sold for a penny or two on the street
• derived the name penny press
profits came primarily from advertising revenue
invented the concept of “news”
A Modern Democratic Society
• Increase in number of papers in just a decade: In 1830—650 weeklies and 65 dailies in the United
States In 1840—1,241 weeklies and 138 dailies
• Changes wrought by industrial revolution: Shift from rural to urban, agricultural to industrial
society People working for wages, purchasing consumer
goods• Penny press—provided means for advertising these
goods
Pulitzer, Hearst, and the Battle for New York City
• Joseph Pulitzer came to the United States from Austria in 1864 to fight in U.S. Civil War in 1878, bought the St.
Louis Post and Dispatch
in 1883, bought the failing New York World
• boosted circulation from 15,000 to more than 250,000 in 3 years
credited with shaping the modern front page
• featured prominent stories “above the fold”
reached out to women and immigrant readers
established Pulitzer Prize
• William Randolph Hearst began career as editor of
the San Francisco Examiner
purchased the New York Journal
used ideas developed by Pulitzer in his paper
fierce battle between Pulitzer and Hearst
Yellow journalism—shocking, sensationalistic reporting derived from the Pulitzer-Hearst rivalry
• name derived from popular “Yellow Kid” comic• featured in both Pulitzer’s and Hearst’s papers.
The Newspaper Business
• Newspaper Conglomerates 1,500 daily newspapers
• down 25 percent from 100 years ago
Chains—corporations that control a significant number of newspapers or other media outlets
Before World War II—80 percent of newspapers were owned independently
Today—80 percent owned by chains
• Gannett: chain with the largest circulation (USA Today) owns more than 90 daily newspapers combined circulation of approximately 7.3 million goals as high as 30 to 40 percent profit
National Newspapers
• USA Today (1982): “McPaper” serving up
“News McNuggets” lost more than $800 million
in first decade is found everywhere changed the look of
newspapers industry-wide forced the industry to
reconsider news priorities 2.3 million daily circulation
• The Wall Street Journal: retains old-fashioned look last major paper to start
using color uses pen-and-ink drawings
over photos the definitive source of
financial news heavy national and
international news coverage
daily circulation of 2 million
• The Christian Science Monitor (1908): owned by the Christian
Science church started by Mary Baker Eddy “appeal to the literate,
concerned and moral citizen”
cover serious issues, especially international stories
downplays news about medicine and health
72,000 daily circulation
English-Language International Newspapers
• International Herald Tribune (1887): published in Paris,
distributed in 180 countries
• Financial Times: owned by Pearson
companies primarily a business
newspaper
• The Wall Street Journal: publishes European and
Asian editions
The Metropolitan Press
• The New York Times: most influential newspaper
in United States 1.1 million daily
subscribers • one third of them live
outside of New York City
bought by Adolf Ochs in 1896
nicknamed “Gray Lady” on October 16, 1997, used
color photos on front page
The Metropolitan Paper (cont.)
• The Washington Post: Watergate created a
national reputation• reporters Bob
Woodward and Carl Bernstein / editor Bill Bradlee
The Metropolitan Paper (cont.)
• The Los Angeles Times: gaining national reputation
as solid paper mainstreaming—quoting
nonwhite and nonmale sources in stories that aren’t about minority issues
• can cause confusion with reporters
• policy established to reach out to minority readers
The Tabloids
• Tabloid newspapers: feature 11x14 inch format usually have a cover rather
than a front page
• Broadsheet newspapers: feature 17 by 22 format
• Examples of Tabloids: The New York Daily News:
• big photos, huge headlines, sensationalistic stories
• January 13, 1928 cover featuring Ruth Snyder’s execution
Community and Suburban Papers
• Community press—weekly and daily newspapers serving individual communities or suburbs rely on Web presence 1,100 daily, 1,200 nondaily community papers in
United States loyal readers stories not being covered nationally
News and Society
• News characteristics: timeliness proximity prominence consequence rarity human interest
News and Society (cont.)
• Sources, advertisers and readers: editors increasingly looking to appeal to advertisers surrounding news stories with similar ads
• Patriotism and the press 2006—92 journalists have died in Iraq since March
2003• 2006 alone—32 killed in Iraq, 23 internationally
targets: deliberately murdered (Daniel Pearl)
Daniel Pearl
The Alternative Press
Alternative papers—serve specialized audiences:
• Freedom’s Journal (1827): “Black citizens were humans who were being treated
unjustly”
• North Star (1847): Frederick Douglass, editor pushed for end of slavery, black rights
• Chicago Defender (1905): profit as well as advocacy urged southern blacks to move north
Rev Samuel Cornish (L)John B. Russwurm
• The Gay Press: The Washington Blade (1969)
• promotes gay causes, highlights problems
Gay City News (New York City)• purchased by a straight-owned company in 2002• targeted a gay audience for profit, no longer for only the
promotion of gay culture
• Underground Papers: attract young people being bought up by chains
The Future of Newspapers
• Are newspapers a dying medium? major urban papers: losing circulation, staff cutbacks afternoon papers first casualty historically Falling circulation figures:
• in 2005, circulation fell 2.6 percent for dailies • it fell 3.1 percent for Sunday papers
convenience factor still strong
The future of newspapers (cont.)
• Newspapers and the Web: breaking news—news story that requires frequent
updating • Web allows for easy updating
Breaking news online • role of Dallas Morning News• Oklahoma City Bombing, Clinton-Lewinsky stories broke
online first• advantages/problems of online publishing
The future of newspapers (cont.)
• What the Web offers newspapers: good at presenting interactive features on breaking
news Pew Research Center for the People and the Press:
• roughly 30 percent of people use Internet for news on a regular basis
• more turn to network sites rather than paper sites
Importance of new technologies and formats:• podcasts• PDA-designed versions• blogs
• http://www.nytimes.com/
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/
• http://www.latimes.com/