News, Photography, News, Photography, AdvertisingAdvertisingMIT2000

04/21/23 MIT2000Newspapers 2

Yellow Yellow Press/Mass/Entertainment Press/Mass/Entertainment NewspaperNewspaperJoseph Pulitzer (World), 1883-

1. Advertising over subscription

2. Sensationalism

1. Local news, crime, scandal

3. Entertainment

4. Self-Advertising

5. Illustrations

6. Large Headlines

7. ‘Use-paper’

8. Commuter Friendly

9. Lead/Inverted Pyramid

04/21/23 MIT2000Newspapers 3

Mass/Entertainment Mass/Entertainment Newspaper (CDA)Newspaper (CDA)Hugh Graham Montreal Star

1880sJohn R. Robertson Toronto

Telegram1. Advertising2. Higher Costs3. Local news (crime, scandal)4. Entertainment over

information function

04/21/23 MIT2000Newspapers 4

From Civic to Mass From Civic to Mass NewspaperNewspaperCivic Newspaper (1820-

1890)

(Democratic Sociability)

1. Political advocate

2. Public defender

3. Public responsibility

4. Civic education

5. Editor-publisher, small shop

6. Opinion-making

1. Editorial pages

7. Public record of legislative proceedings

8. “public utility”

Mass Newspaper (1890-)

1. Commercial Enterprise

2. Advertising reliant

3. Corporations & Chains (Southam, Sifton, Thomson)

4. Heavily capitalized

5. Decline of editorial pages

6. Less partisan

7. higher circulation, fewer newspapers

8. READERSHIP OVER PARTISANSHIP

04/21/23 MIT2000Newspapers 5

Space-Biased Media Space-Biased Media (Innis)(Innis)1. Dialectic

1. liberty & monopolies of knowledge2. Printing Press

2. Balance: 1. time/space 2. centrifugal/centripetal3. democratic society

04/21/23 MIT2000Newspapers 6

Newspaper: SummaryNewspaper: SummaryCorantosPress FreedomDemocracy/Responsible GovernmentPostal SystemPolite Sociability/Democratic SociabilityCivic Newspaper/Mass NewspaperPublic Opinion/Commercial ProfitCirculation/Subscription/AdvertisingNews as Commodity

MIT202-Magazines 7 04/21/23

Early PhotographyEarly Photography

Daguerreotype, 1839◦ unique image

wet plate process, 1850s◦ multiple prints from single

glass negativedry plate process, 1870s

◦ no more portable darkrooms

◦ George Dawson

Photographic PortraiturePhotographic Portraiture

Mathew Brady1840s -1870sNationalismCitizenshipCharacter

Democratic PortraitureDemocratic Portraiture

Middle Class and Working-class Reach

Individual as Coherent Self

Symbol of Inner SelfKeepsake of

deceased

The Living DeadThe Living Dead

Seeing, Believing: War Seeing, Believing: War DocumentaryDocumentaryBurden of TruthCivil War,

1861-65M. BradyA. Gardner/T.

O’SullivanOrchestrated

Realism

Social DocumentarySocial Documentary

Jacob Riis◦“How the Other

Half Lives”, 1890Affect Social

ChangeReform

MovementCultural “Other”

MIT202-Magazines 13 04/21/23

Kodak Camera, 1888Kodak Camera, 1888

1. George Eastman2. hand-held, point-and-

shoot box camera3. Portability/Affordability4. amateur users5. autobiographical record6. Time Machine/Time

Bias?7. Nostalgia

Early Photojournalism, Early Photojournalism,

1. Technological changes, 1880s/90s

2. Engraved to Half-tone reproduction

3. ‘reality’/authenticity

04/21/23 MIT202-Magazines 14

MIT202-Magazines 15 04/21/23

Photo-JournalismPhoto-Journalism

1. Flash photography2. Camera improvements (Kodak);

snap-shot camera, fast drying gelatin plate,

3. Movement/action photography4. Photo-journalist: wars, disasters,

public events

MIT202-Magazines 16 04/21/23

Photo-JournalismPhoto-Journalism

1. Wirephoto, 19212. Flash bulbs, late 1920s3. Photo Agencies

1. Bain’s News Picture Service

4. Veracity/immediacy

Photography’s Rapid Photography’s Rapid UptakeUptakeMechanical

ProcessSelf-

Representation◦ Individual/familial

Realism/Objectivity

23-04-21 MIT3214 18

Advertising// Patent Advertising// Patent MedicinesMedicines1. Herbal compounds,

tonics, liniment oils1. “Dr. Duponco’s

Golden Periodical Pills”

2. “Hamlin’s Wizard Oil”

2. 1804: 80; 1860: 1,500 +

3. Gout, fallen arches, liver disease, etc.

23-04-21 MIT3214 19

Advertising OrientedAdvertising Oriented

1. ad-to-sales ratios: 40%+

2. national advertisers3. pioneer brands/

trademarks4. 1/2 newspaper

ads1860; 1/3 -1890 5. “red clause” contracts

23-04-21 MIT3214 20

Patent Medicine OpponentsPatent Medicine Opponents

1. Professional Medicine (AMA/CMA)

2. Magazine Publishers

3. Corporate Mass Advertisers

Reasons:

1. Consumer Fraud

2. Public Health

3. Public Decency

23-04-21 MIT3214 21

““Modern” Corporate Modern” Corporate Advertisers Advertisers Campbell’s Soup

(1869) Procter & Gamble

◦ Ivory Soap (1879)Coca Cola (1886)KodakGilletteSocial Legitimacy

23-04-21 MIT3214 22

Corporate Advertising, 1880-Corporate Advertising, 1880-192019201. Rising Population (US)

1. 1880: 50 mil; 1920 106 mil.

2. Urbanization (2,500+)1. 1880: 28%; 1920; 51%

3. Higher Per Capita Income:1. 1880: $147; 1920: $6392. discretionary spending

23-04-21 MIT3214 23

Second Industrial Revolution, Second Industrial Revolution, post- 1860spost- 1860s1. Large-scale factory

system 2. Coal replaces

wood/water3. Iron/steel industries4. Economies-of-scale

production5. Capital-intensive/high

fixed costs

23-04-21 MIT3214 24

Retailer-Advertiser Power Retailer-Advertiser Power StruggleStruggle1. Manufacturer wrest

power from retailer via branding/advertising

2. Product Substitution3. Ivory Soap –

Manufacturer Power1. Sunshine Biscuits

23-04-21 MIT3214 25

Advertising Spending (US)Advertising Spending (US)1. 1880: $104 million; 1919: $1.4

billion2. Ad share of newspaper-mag

revenue 1. 1880: 44% ; 1920: 66%

3. Number of US Daily Newspapers:1. 1854: 254 2. 1900: 2,226

4. How advertise in so many local papers?

23-04-21 MIT3214 26

Advertising AgentsAdvertising Agents

George P. Rowell New England,

1865- 1. line rates2. wholesaler of white

space 1. “space jobber”2. bulk buy for

lowest price

23-04-21 MIT3214 27

Space JobbersSpace Jobbers

1. Lord & Thomas

1. religious publications

2. J. Walter Thompson

1. magazines

2. exclusive access deals

3. “closed” contracts

4. Aligned with newspapers

5. Rebates, etc., if sell space full price

6. Buy space only w/ affiliated papers

23-04-21 MIT3214 28

A.J. Ayer (N.W. Ayer A.J. Ayer (N.W. Ayer && Son) Son)

1. modern agency2. “open” contract

(1875)3. advertiser-oriented

service 4. commission system5. Full Service Agency

1. Media buying2. Copywriting3. Market Research