When America was just a colony to after it became its own nation, there was huge advances in the ability and ease in spreading ideas. One of these early advancements was the introduction of newspaper publications. Now they were able to share advertisements and discuss governmental affairs in England. As early Americans grew unhappy with England, patriot writers used the same system used to exchange news to share messages and images that sparked resistance and gained the support of the wide public. Without the media, the American revolution might have never happened. However, not all publications were supported by the government and some were censored or banned, leading early Americans to dispute the amount of control the government should have over publications. Outrageous speculations and political affiliations in newspapers made Americans question the validity of the information they were printing and to distrust the early media.
Publick Occurences (1690)
Publick Occurrences, Both Foreign and Domestick was the first newspaper published in the colonies. This Boston publication was published on a single page on September 25, 1690. "the country shall be furnished once a month with an account of such considerable things as have arrived unto our notice" - purpose of Publick Occurrences Among the public, Publick Occurrences was a great success. The authorities, however, were not amused by the content of the paper, as the paper insinuated that there was incest in the French royal family. They were also upset with the fact that the paper was published without any legal authority.
On September 29, the Governor of Massachusetts made a broadside order that forbid publications without a license by the government. This order supressed the publication of Publick Ocurrences as well as other publications. "Anything in Print without License first obtained from those that are or shall be appointed by the Government to grant the same." - broadside order The reaction to Publick Occurrences, public amusement and authority outrage, led the first newspaper in America to raise questions about the boundaries of media and the legitimacy of what they were printing and the impact of the information they were spreading. The broadside order also led the early colonists to question how much control the government should have over the media and it's influence.
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Media in the American Revolution
Media was an extremely important aspect of the American revolution. Images and writings printed in papers helped spread the message of resistance and gain support for the revolution. A key feature of publications was anonymity. The authors who submitted to the papers used pseudonyms to protect themselves and preserve concepts of "free press." However, after publications began to take political stances and revolution became imminent, the shield of the pseudonyms failed. The tensions of the war drove Americans to physical violence over what had been published in the newspapers. |
Paul Revere famously engraved the Boston Massacre, critically dramatizing the government's aims of removing the liberties of the American colonists. This spread crucial information to the colonists and increased the colonists desire for rebellion. Those, like Revere, who spread this information and brought it to light were considered to be "heroic servants of the people." |
Post American Revolution - Yellow Journalism
After an American revolution, the early 19th century, most newspapers were affiliated with a political party. This meant that no newspapers were widely trusted as a source of unbiased news. This, and the increased competition between papers led to the rise in "yellow journalism." This type of "journalism" contained little or no legitimate news, but instead used eye catching headlines to gain readers. This became a serious factor that helped push the U.S. and Spain into war in Cuba and the Philippines. This newspaper was published by William Randolph Hearst who had acquired The New York Journal in the late 1800s. He was in a bitter competition with the New York World which was owned by Joseph Pulitzer. Joseph sold his papers using "yellow journalism" with headlines that featured crime, corruption, and graphic imagery. In order to compete with Pulitzer, Joseph began to use "yellow journalism" to sell his papers. Both Joseph and Pulitzer were not widely respected and fueled the growing distrust in the media. This newspaper uses wild theories and monetary rewards to entice readers.
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