Newspapers and the Rise of Modern Journalism

1. Newspapers and the Rise of Modern Journalism Chapter 8

2. “Newspapers have a great future as news organizations on the Web and perhaps elsewhere. Sadly, today in America when a newspaper reader dies, he or she is not replaced by a new reader.” —Jeffrey Cole, director, Center for the Digital Future, USC Annenberg School, 2006

3. The Evolution of American Newspapers • Colonial papers • Ben 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

4. 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

5. 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

6. 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.

7. Penny Press (cont.) • James Gordon Bennett’s New York Morning Herald, 1835 • 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

8. 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

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

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

11. Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochrane) • First investigative reporter? • Faked insanity to get into hospital • Prostitution story • Made Pulitzer’s World a trendsetter for journalism

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 themselves from yellow journalism • Focused on documentation of major events • More affluent readership • But 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 • Facts for the record • Analysis • Advocate plans • 1930s Depression and Nazi threat to global stability helped analysis take root.

16. Literary Forms of Journalism • News critic Jack Newfield • Journalistic impartiality as “a figleaf for covert prejudice” • Advocacy journalism • Reporter promotes particular cause or view • Precision journalism • Pushes news in the direction of science • 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

17. Newspapers in the Age of Immediacy Can newspapers compete with television and the Internet?

18. Newspapers Undergo Change • USA Today • Color • Brief, almost broadcast-length copy • Culture changes • Less reading • Multi-media “news” sources • Talk shows, films, rap music • The Drudge Report broke Lewinsky story • Reduced standards for journalistic accuracy?

19. The “Other” Presses • Native American newspapers • African American • Immigrant • Spanish-language • Vital to marketing and publicity campaigns • Growing fast • The underground press • Media of far Left and far Right

20. Economic Demands vs. Editorial Opportunities • Newshole = 35 to 50 percent 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.

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

22. Media Giant

23. Convergence in the Newsroom • Several papers trying converged newsroom • Online newspapers flexible • Unlimited space • Links to related articles • Archives • Multimedia capabilities • Free of charge

24. Journalists Face Risks Abroad • By mid-2006, more than 70 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