Newspapers: The Rise and Decline of Modern Journalism

1. Newspapers: The Rise and Decline of Modern Journalism Chapter 8

2. “A lifetime champion of women and the poor, Nellie Bly pioneered what was then called detective or stunt journalism. Her work inspired the twentieth-century practice of investigative journalism—from Ida Tarbell’s exposés of oil corporations in the early 1900s to the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for investigative reporting...”

3. Newspapers Today • Newspapers have historically acted as chroniclers of daily life. • Inform and entertain • In the digital age, the industry is losing papers and readers. • 2007—Total newspaper ad revenues fell 7% overall, despite 20% increase in online ad sales. • Losses raise big concerns for future of newspaper’s.

4. The Evolution of American Newspapers • Colonial papers • Benjamin Harris: Publick Occurrences (1690) • Inflammatory by standards of the times • Not a newspaper by modern standards • Banned by the colony after one issue • John Campbell: the Boston News-Letter (1704) • Reported on mundane events that took place in Europe months earlier • James Franklin: the New England Courant (1721) • Stories that interested ordinary readers

5. Colonial Papers (cont.) • Benjamin Franklin: the Pennsylvania Gazette (1729) • Historians rate among the best • Run with subsidies from political parties as well as advertising • John Peter Zenger: the New-York Weekly Journal (1733) • Arrested for seditious libel • Jury ruled in his favor, as long as stories are true. • Decision provided foundation for First Amendment. • By 1765, about thirty newspapers in American colonies

6. Partisan Press • 1784—first daily newspaper • Two types: political and commercial • Parties shaped press history. • Anti–British rule • Political agendas shaped newspapers. • Partisan press forerunner of editorials • Commercial press forerunner of the modern business section • Circulation in hundreds, not thousands • Readership: the wealthy and educated

7. Penny Press • 1833—Benjamin Day’s New York Sun • Local events, scandals, and police reports • Blazed the trail for celebrity news • Fabricated stories • Human-interest stories • Ordinary individuals facing extraordinary challenges • Success spawned wave of penny papers.

8. Penny Press (cont.) • 1835—James Gordon Bennett’s New York Morning Herald • Bennett first U.S. press baron • World’s largest daily paper at the time • Model for Dickens’s Rowdy Journal • Penny papers increased reliance on ad revenue. • 1848—formation of the Associated Press (AP) • Wire services around the country

9. Penny Press Contributions • Developed a system of information distribution • Modern technology to mass-produce and cut costs • Wire services • Promoted literacy among the public • Middle- and working-class readers could afford the papers and were attracted to true-crime and human-interest stories. • Empowered the public in government affairs • Articles about politics and commerce

10. YellowJournalism • Pulitzer and Hearst • Brazen • Sensational, overly dramatic • Crimes • Celebrities • Scandals • Disaster • Intrigue • Provided roots for investigative journalism • Exposed corruption in business and government

11. Pulitzer and the New York World • Hungarian immigrant • Bought the St. Louis Post-Dispatch • Touted as a “national conscience” • 1883—bought the New York World • Pro-immigrant and working class • Sensational stories • Advice columns and women’s pages • Antimonopoly • Manufactured events and staged stunts • E.g., Nellie Bly around the world in 72 days • Legacy: Gave money to start Columbia U’s graduate school of journalism and launched the Pulitzer Prizes

12. Hearst and the New York Journal • Expelled from Harvard • Had taken reins of San Francisco Examiner • Bought the New York Journal with his inheritance • Ailing penny paper owned by Joseph Pulitzer’s brother • Raided Joseph Pulitzer’s New York World for editors, writers, and cartoonists • Imitated Pulitzer’s style • Pro-immigrant • Bold layout • Sensational stories • Invented interviews, faked pictures, encouraged conflicts • Hearst served as model for Charles Foster Kane.

13. Competing Models of Print Journalism • Objectivity • Ochs and the New York Times, 1896 • Distanced itself from yellow journalism • Focused on documentation of major events • More affluent readership • Lowered the price to a penny, so middle class read as marker for educated and well-informed • Inverted-pyramid style • Answer who, what, where, when (sometimes why and how)at top • Less significant details at bottom

14. Can news ever be objective? Are facts alone enough? What do we need from newspapers? Limits of Objectivity

15. Interpretive Journalism • More analysis • 1920s editor and columnist Walter Lippmann • Ranked press responsibilities • Supply facts for the record • Give analysis • Advocate plans • 1930s: Depression and Nazi threat to global stability helped analysis take root.

16. Literary Forms of Journalism • Literary journalism • Also called “new journalism” • Fictional storytelling techniques applied to nonfictional material • 19th century: Mark Twain, Stephen Crane, Theodore Dreiser • 20th century: Tom Wolfe, Truman Capote, Joan Didion, Norman Mailer, Hunter S. Thompson • Advocacy journalism • Reporter promotes particular cause or view • Precision journalism • Pushes news in the direction of science

17. Newspapers Undergo Change • USA Today • Color • Mimics broadcast news in use of brief news items • Online journalism changes the news landscape. • January 1998: The Drudge Report broke Lewinsky story before Newsweek. • Reduced standards for journalistic accuracy?

18. Newspapers Play Different Roles • Smaller nondaily papers promote social, economic harmony in community. • Consensus-oriented journalism: carry stories on local schools, social events, town government, property crimes, and zoning issues • National and metro dailies practice different style. • Conflict-oriented journalism: front-page news defined as events, issues, or experiences that deviate from social norms

19. Minority Newspapers • African American • Freedom’s Journal (1827–1829), New York’s Amsterdam News • Spanish-language • New York’s El Diario–La Prensa merged with Los Angeles’ La Opinión in 2004. • Vital to marketing and publicity campaigns, growing fast • Asian American • The World Journal: serves Chinese immigrants nationwide • Native American • Begun with Cherokee Phoenix (1828)

20. The Underground Press • Inspired by socialists, intellectuals from 1930s, 1940s • Dorothy Day, I. F. Stone • Mid to late 1960s saw explosion in alternative newspapers. • Worked to challenge mainstream depictions of news • Village Voice: one of the first, most enduring alternative papers • Circulation of 250,000 today

21. Figure 8.1

22. Economic Demands vs. Editorial Opportunities • Newshole = 35 to 50% of paper • Remaining space devoted to advertising • Newsroom staff • Publisher and owner • Editors • Reporters • Photographers • Copy editors • Wire services and feature syndicates important sources of material • Staff cannot possibly produce enough or cover the world.

23. Ownership, Economics, Technology, and Innovation • Decline in readership • End of competing newspapers in cities • Joint operating agreement (JOA) • Two newspapers keep separate news divisions while merging business and production operations. • In 2007, JOAs were still in place in 10 cities. • Newspaper chains • Gannett nation’s largest • Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp. multinational

24. What Gannett Owns – Texas-New Mexico Newspaper Partnership (41%, community newspapers) Television • Captivate Network (advertising-based television in elevators) • 23 TV stations – KARE-TV (Minneapolis) – KNAZ-TV (Flagstaff, Ariz.) – KSDK-TV (St. Louis) – KTHV-TV (Little Rock, Ark.) – KTVD-TV (Denver) – KUSA-TV (Denver) – KXTV-TV (Sacramento, Calif.) – WATL-TV (Atlanta) – WBIR-TV (Knoxville, Tenn.) – WCSH-TV (Portland, Me.) – WGRZ-TV (Buffalo, N.Y.) – WJXX-TV (Jacksonville) – WKYC-TV (Cleveland) – WTLV-TV (Jacksonville) – WTSP-TV (Tampa) – WZZM-TV (Grand Rapids, Mich.) Internet • CareerBuilder (40%) • Classified Ventures (24%, online content publishing) • Planet Discover • ShopLocal.com (42%) • Topix.net Magazines and Printing • Clipper Magazine (direct mail advertising) • Gannett Healthcare Group (periodical publishing) • Gannett Offset (commercial printing) Newspapers • 85 daily papers and 900 nondaily publications – USA Today – USA Weekend – Asbury Park Press (N.J.) – Detroit Free Press – Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (NY) – Arizona Republic (Phoenix) – Cincinnati Enquirer – Courier-Journal (Louisville, Ky.) – Des Moines Register (Iowa) – Honolulu Advertiser – Indianapolis Star – News Journal (Wilmington, Del.) – Tennessean (Nashville) – Army Times Publishing Company (newspapers) – Newsquest plc (newspaper publishing, United Kingdom)

25. Electronic and Digital Technology • Hundreds of newspapers have developed online versions of their paper product. • Online newspapers flexible • Unlimited space • Links to related articles • Archives • Multimedia capabilities • Free of charge

26. “Now, like hundreds of other mid-career journalists who are walking away from media institutions across the country, I’m looking for other ways to tell the stories I care about. At the same time, the world of online news is maturing, looking for depth and context. I think the timing couldn’t be better.” —Nancy Cleeland, on why she was leaving The Los Angeles Times, posted on The Huffington Post, 2007

27. Journalists Face Risks Abroad • By mid-2008, more than 125 reporters had died in Iraq. • “The danger is omnipresent for journalists in Iraq. There are few places to take refuge.” —Joel Campagna, Committee to Protect Journalists, 2006

28. The Newspapers’ Survival • Can newspapers compete with television and the Internet? • How can print journalism adjust its business model to survive?