Chapter 6: Newspapers

Study

The first newspaper-like publications appeared in Europe in the 1500s and contained religious messages. In 1690, the first newspaper, Publick Occurrences, was printed in the colonies. Benjamin Franklin quickly became a very successful colonial newspaper publisher. His papers were popular with readers, and featured weather reports and political cartoons.

The penny press papers delivered the first objective newspaper content to consumers. A steady stream of advertising revenue allowed these papers to operate free from the external controls of big business interests and political parties. The papers were affordable and popular with the new wage-earning American workforce, as well as the advertisers who had an endless supply of consumer goods to sell.

The competition between Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst in the early 1900s helped shape the modern newspaper. Pulitzer's innovations, such as a definitive front page featuring prominent stories above-the-fold, an extended Sunday edition, illustrated comics, and the ability to reach out to female and immigrants made his paper popular. Hearst's imitation of Pulitzer's already popular strategies fueled the movement of sensationalistic writing known as yellow journalism.

Before World War II, the majority of newspapers were owned independently. Today, that trend has been reversed, and the majority of newspapers now fall under chain ownership. Gannett is the largest newspaper chain, with a circulation of approximately 7.3 million.

USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and the Christian Science Monitor represent newspapers with a national circulation and subscription base. Newspapers such as the New York Times and the Los Angeles Times are examples of metropolitan papers with a national reputation, though most metropolitan papers mainly serve specific cities and their suburbs. Alternative papers target specialized audiences that are underrepresented in mainstream newspapers, such as gays and lesbians and young people.

Newspapers face an uncertain future. Decreasing circulation and a drive for higher profits have placed many pressures on the industry. Many papers have embraced the World Wide Web as an outlet to publish breaking news. With more people turning to the Web for news and information, the newspaper industry's online presence will certainly continue to grow.

Learning Objectives

•  Know the earliest newspapers to appear in Europe and the American colonies and the forces that controlled them.

•  Know the significance of the penny press and the environment in which it flourished

•  Understand the contributions to the newspaper industry made by Pulitzer and Hearst.

•  Understand the differences between national and metropolitan newspapers, and be able to provide examples of each.

•  Understand the newspaper chain ownership model.

•  Know the characteristics found in prominent news stories.

•  Know the role of alternative papers and their target audiences.

•  Understand the options and advantages the World Wide Web has to offer newspapers, and how they are utilizing them.

Review Questions

1. Who was Benjamin Day?


2. Define yellow journalism and the factors that created this journalistic movement.

3. What is the difference between broadsheet and tabloid newspapers?

4. Who was Frederick Douglass and what was his contribution to the newspaper industry?


5. What are the differences between national and metropolitan newspapers?

6. What is an alternative paper, and what audiences do these newspapers target?