EOTO Reaction Post of Journalism

 

 EOTO Reaction Post 1  

                                      

The Eras of Journalism  

     For our first presentation assignment, my partner and I focused on the very beginning of American journalism. In the colonial era before America gained its independence, readers of the news read only the information the government wanted them to know. In 1660, the first-ever American newspaper was called the Publick Occurrences and was published by Benjamin Harris who was the first journalist in the colonies. However, the paper was shut down after the first issue. The British government was outraged when the colonists were introduced to the new journalistic writing style. In 1704, John Campbell published the second American newspaper which he called the Boston News-Letter. This paper gained the government's praise and approval This was the first continuously published newspaper in the colonies.  

 

  

     During the Penny Press Era, journalism was money-driven and sold for one cent per copy. In addition, there were sections added to newspapers about daily life and current events. The New York Tribune represented the Whig party and advocated support for the Republican party from 1841 to 1924. This was followed by the New York Herald, an independent paper in 1861, and was popular among the citizens. Then, along came one of the most well-known papers of the present day, which is The New York Times. At the time, this newspaper was Republican and started to endorse certain candidates for president. These three newspapers became known as the journalism superpowers.  

 

   As the Penny Press era continued, journalism was constantly innovating and changing for the future. The Associated Press was created as a non-profit news cooperative and held ambitious standards within the workforce. This newspaper was one of the first to report on daily life. Reuters was published in the 1850s and was operated by a reporter who used a carrier pigeon as a source of transport to and from destinations. The expansion of the telegraph rapidly increased the spread of news. An interesting fact I learned was that in 1911 the first report of the Titanic tragedy was spread after just two hours to the rest of the world. Reuters covered all political sides and angles. With the invention of the telegraph, ready access to the news was revolutionary. The Hearst News Empire became a phenomenon that had two dozen newspapers under one company umbrella. Hearst wrote many headlines and provided illustrations which modernized the newspapers. These media techniques are primary factors in developing the current newspapers of today.  

 

     Towards the end of the Penny Press Era, newspapers focused on spreading the influence of journalism. The American Newspaper Publishers Association founded in 1946 prioritized the use of visual journalism and encouraged journalists to share or publish their visual elements freely. The Society of Professional Journalists was founded by ten students and stood upon four principles in journalism, which marked the first historic club for journalism. At the time, to join this club, you had to be a male. It was not until a journalism convention that women were finally allowed to join. This journalism club advocated freedom of speech and press for journalists around America. American journalists were expected to report and edit accurate information. The Association of American Editorial Cartoonists was a society that helped students and editorial cartoonists. Cartoons were known to be an opinion and not news. These visuals were designed for all ages and were extremely popular in the papers. The American Society of Magazine Editors was an organization that edited, produced, and advocated for First Amendment rights by the media.  

 

    The history of journalism is incredibly fascinating to me. To see how influential historical newspapers were in the shaping of America is quite eye-opening. As an aspiring journalist, listening to my fellow peers’ presentations helped bring the birth of journalism to life for me. The eras of journalism were defined by freedom of speech advocates, technological innovations, and the introduction to modern journalism.   

        

EOTO Key Post 1 "Publick Occurences and Boston-News Letter"

  EOTO Key Post 1 "Publick Occurrences and Boston-News Letter" 

                                     America's Founding Newspapers 

     How did journalism start in America? What sparked a change in literature and how readers perceive the news? In 1660 Benjamin Harris is credited as being the first journalist and publishing the first newspaper which he called "Publick Occurrences". This newspaper caused quite a lot of controversy and the British government was outraged. Nearly forty years later in 1704, John Campbell published the "Boston News Letter". However, this newspaper the government praised. 

     Publick Occurrences was published in Britain's North American colonies specifically Boston Massachusetts. Benjamin Harris was a Boston printer and publisher who produced the first copy. American colonists were thrilled and fascinated by this new literary invention while the government was shocked by anyone who would challenge their political power. The "Publick Occurrences" allowed for news to spread to the other colonies, prompting more people to be in the know and know the truth. When the Massachusetts governor founded this newspaper he pulled out his British rulebook. Under the crown, he stated that no one could publish or print without the British Government's stamp or approval. So, what did Benjamin Harris not have? Benjamin Harris did not have the governor's consent and just a few days after the Publick Occurrences was published the paper was shut down and banned. 

     During the early 16th and late 17th centuries, Britain was considered to be a global superpower and dominated everything and everyone. Before the Revolutionary War, the colonies did not have their independence hence why freedom of speech was not fought for at the time. What scared the British government the most was not the fact that the American colonists would be able to know the truth but that the colonists would be able to form their own opinions about the paper. Someone who would speak out against the government was unheard of at the time. After all, Benjamin Harris was trying to tell the people the truth because he thought that they had a right to know. Of course, the government was going to be against the "Publick Occurrences" because it contained information that the people would be against.  In 1660 Benjamin Harris published the "Publick Occurrences" for a second time and the government shut down the paper immediately.  

    What was contained in the "Publick Occurrences"? Before America's first newspaper, there were one-page pamphlets that were about a paragraph long. This newspaper was promoted by the government and the colonists only knew the information the government provided and how to react to that information. Whereas Benjamin Harris's writing style was very descriptive and the intro to journalist writing style. His format was a four-page paper which was different than any literature piece before this issue. There was also a promise to the readers that there would be a new issue every month. Benjamin Harris's writing style was his revenge and a way to get back at the government. He opened a bookstore and a printing shop where men could come in and discuss different political and current events. In 1695 once he returned to England he was arrested and jailed for writing a small newspaper about the British crown. One copy of the "Publick Occurrences" survived the raid and is displayed at the British Public Library today. 

     Benjamin Harris was a main advocate for freedom of speech and press. He wanted the colonists to be able to stand up for their own beliefs and values. Benjamin Harris's choice of weapon was journalism and introduced journalism to the world. He changed the way people perceived the news and how modern journalists write their stories today. 

    John Campbell published America's second newspaper which he called the "Boston News Letter". This paper was created when the printing Press was invented which rapidly spread these newspapers allowing for more copies to be read in a week's worth of time.  He was a bookseller and the founding publisher. This newspaper was a single-page paper that was continuously published unlike the "Publick Occurrences". The Boston News-Letter appeared weekly and the colonists found a way to gain access to new information every week. One reason that this paper was so praised by the British crown and contained news about England which was promoted more positively hence why the government let this issue run. 

    The Boston Newsletter was the only newspaper in Boston during the American Revolution. The newspaper reported on significant local events such as the Boston Tea Party and the Boston Massacre which the colonists wanted to know the truth and for their voices to be heard.  This newspaper was promoted by the British government and contained information that the government wanted the readers to know. The newspaper focused on many topics such as politics, religion, and economic information about the colonies. Campbell owned the Boston News Letter from 1702 to 1718 until he handed over the paper to Bartholomew Green. The last publication of the Boston News Letter was in 1776. 

     Both the Publick Occurrences and the Boston News Letter are the pioneers of journalism. Benjamin Harris paved the way for freedom of speech and press while John Campbell carried on journalism's legacy.  These newspapers defined journalism and changed the way we as modern journalists view the news today. America's founding newsletters represent the voice for freedom of speech and press as stated in our United States Constitution.

References

First Newspaper Published in the Colonies. (2008, September 25). Mass Moments. Retrieved February 5, 2024, from https://www.massmoments.org/moment-details/first-newspaper-published-in-the-colonies.html

MHS Collections Online: <EM>The Boston Newsletter</EM>, number 1. (n.d.). Massachusetts Historical Society. Retrieved February 5, 2024, from https://www.masshist.org/database/186

Pethers, M. (2014). Journalism. In M. Spencer (Ed.), The Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of the American Enlightenment (1st ed.). Bloomsbury. https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6NTk3OTUy?aid=106317

Publick Occurrences, Both Foreign and Domestick | newspaper. (n.d.). Britannica. Retrieved February 5, 2024, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Publick-Occurrences-Both-Foreign-and-Domestick 

Shaw, S. J. (1959). Colonial Newspaper Advertising: A Step toward Freedom of the Press. The Business History Review, 33(3), 409–420. https://doi.org/10.2307/3111955

“The Boston News-Letter.” Omeka RSS, americanantiquarian.org/earlyamericannewsmedia/exhibits/show/news-in-colonial-america/item/116. Accessed 08 Feb. 2024. 

Shonk, Ethan, and Name. American History, blogs.shu.edu/americanhistory/2023/05/01/boston-newsletter/. Accessed 8 Feb. 2024.