History of Journalism

First Newspapers, Radio, Television, the Impact of Other Media

From McPaper to USA TODAY

At first called: “junk food journalism” and “McNugget” (1982)

Critics said: USA TODAY only gave tidbits of information, and no substance.

So how and why did USA TODAY gain popularity?

USA TODAY’s Popularity

Short, lively stories

Liberal use of color

Integrated use of graphics

Full-page weather map

Became first national newspaper

What can we do to be more like USA TODAY?

Write down some ideas!

First Newspapers

History of NewspapersChapter One

of Exploring Journalism and the Media

What are Newspapers?

Newspapers are publications that contain information about:

Current events

Features on various topics

Advertisements

Colonial Newspapers

Most news traveled by travelers and letters.

First Newspaper: Publick Occurrences both Foreign and Domestick (Benjamin Harris)

Contained essay letters and opinions of the editor.

By 1750, colonies had 14 weekly newspapers; by 1770’s/ 89 newspapers.

Penny Press

Mid-19th CenturyConcept of newspapers changeShift from opinion to current events.1833, Benjamin Day publishes the New York Sun, sold for 1 cent per copy.

Penny Press

Penny Press newspapers were named after the cost, 1 cent.

Sold on street corners

Price and easy access=popularity.

Penny Press

Due to advances in printing technology, thousands of papers could be printed every hour.

This lead to increased circulation and a paper’s influence.

Penny Press

In 1835, James Gordon Bennett published the New York Herald.Bennett is considered the founder of modern-day journalism.Turned his newspaper into a money-making business that was free of government or political party control.

Civil War and the Telegraph

During The War between the States, newspapers introduced war correspondents.To get stories to the papers in the North, journalists in the South used the telegraph to transmit stories.

Civil War and the Telegraph

In case telegraph broke down, journalists wrote in a more concise style, putting most important facts first.

This format – the inverted pyramid – is still used today.

Yellow JournalismYellow Journalism

Mid-1890s, newspapers competing for advertising dollars and readers began an era of sensationalism.Yellow journalism came to represent screaming headlines and cheap melodrama. (Think tabloids!)

Yellow JournalismYellow Journalism

Stories were made up of half-truthsNo ethics involvedSelf-promotion was shamelessWilliam Randolph Hearst (San Francisco Examiner/ New York Morning News) and Joseph Pulitzer (New York World) were the most notable yellow journalists.

Muckraking

As yellow journalism ended, journalists moved into the role of promoting social responsibility.Investigated corruption (especially big business), social institutions and politics.1864-1922. Journalist, activist.Nellie Bly was the pseudonym of Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman, a New York journalist whose muckraking made her a 19th century celebrity. A victim of personal hardship growing up, she specialized in stories of the downtrodden. She became nationally known for reporting on rotten workplace conditions and government corruption.

Muckraking

Beginning of investigative journalism.

Journalists took pride in becoming known as muckrakers.

The First Amendment

Journalists are given certain rights guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The first Amendment is the first of 10 amendments to the Constitution (Bill of Rights).

Provides the rights to free speech and free press.

The First Amendment

This amendment protects journalists form censorship.

Censorship is the prevention, or attempted prevention, of printing or broadcasting materials that are considered by some people to be objectionable.

Quick Quiz

The first newspapers were filled with…The editor’s opinionPenny presses were popular because…Of the price and easy access.Muckrakers were proud of the title because it meant the journalists were…Investigating corruptionWhat freedoms are protected by the First Amendment?Free Speech and Press, Religion and to Assemble Peaceably.

Radio, Television and the Impact of Other Media

History of NewspapersChapter One

of Exploring Journalism and the Media

Media for the Masses

Mass media refers to all the channels of communication that reach a large audience.

Examples: Newspapers, magazines, radio, TV and high-speed Internet connections.

Radio

Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi began experimenting with the wire-less telegraph in 1894.

NBC created in 1926

CBS created in 1927

Radio

1930s is considered the Golden Age of Radio.

Americans listened to: music, drama, comedy, variety shows and news

Jack Benny and Bob Hope were popular.

Radio

Important information toolWWII correspondent Edward R. Murrow brought news from the front lines.Franklin D. Roosevelt made declaration of war over radio on Dec. 8, 1941.

Television

Development began in late 1800s.1927, first picture transmitted – a dollar sign.By 1950s, TV replaced the radio as the preferred medium of news and entertainment.

Television

Like radio station, TV stations were affiliated with networks.Networks: groups of stations that broadcast the same programs at the same time.Edward R. Murrow transitioned from radio to TV.

Television

TV newscasts started out as 10-minute programs

Became longer due to demand

TV newscasts “killed” the daily afternoon newspapers.

The Internet

In 2000, the Internet changed how journalists researched and reported the news.

Not only does Internet provide credible information sites, it also gives society access to that information and to each other.

The Internet

How Internet helps journalists:Preliminary researchE-mail interviewsPhotographers can send digital photos from anywhereA PDF file of an ad or a completed page can be sent to customers and editors.

The Internet

Newspapers have adopted Internet sites.

Add features such as Web logs, or blogs.

Blogs are journals written by reporters with specialty fields or interests.

The Internet

News organizations realize that consumers have multiple platforms on which to get information.

Such as: newspapers, Web sites, e-mail, cell phones, MP3s, iPods (podcasts)

The Internet

Due to multiple media (adding visual and audio to a story), journalists write the same story in different forms. (For example: one style for printed news, another for the Web site.

The merging of the media and the platforms is called convergence.

Quick QuizQuick Quiz

Which medium has had the greatest impact on mass media since 2000?The InternetWhich medium was an important means of reaching the public during World War II?RadioWhich medium replaced radio as the most popular of the mass media in the 1950s?TelevisionTrue or False? The internet changed the way journalists conduct research.TrueTrue or False? The term convergence refers to merging the media, such as print, broadcast and Internet, with the platform, such as a newspaper’s Web site and a podcast.True

Bibliography

Lynch, Lorrie. Exploring Journalism and the Media. South-Western Cengage Learning, Ohio. 2009.