News is simply defined as "a report of a recent event; something one? not heard of before"(Websters, 282). With its lack in its definition, news is so much more than a report of recent events in todays world. Today, the underlying purpose of news is to "provide facts upon which decisions are based" (Mencher, 56), making journalism the work of gathering news. Neil Postman says that news is "more often made rather than gathered".
He goes on to say that it consists of information that a journalist believes is important or what they think their audience will think is important.There are many different mediums in which one receives news these days, including, internet, radio and television. One of the ways that has been around the longest is the newspaper. Today newspapers are publications that come out regularly containing news, information and advertisements.
Newspapers usually meet four different criteria: Publicity, periodicity, currency, and universality. Publicity means that its contents are reasonably accessible to the public and is well circulated. Periodicity has to do with the timing of publishing. In order for a publishing to be onsidered a newspaper it needs to be published at regular times.Currency deals with the information of the news itself. A newspaper usually presents news that is current and applicable to it's readers.
Universality deals with the types of news that is covered. The topics in a newspaper is often the reason why people pick up a newspaper to begin with. When a publication meets these four criteria they are usually considered a newspaper. Newspapers have been around for a long time, they have always played an important part in society and while still today an important source of information, are slowly ying.
The Beginning of Newspapers Although what is thought to be the modern "newspaper" wasn't invented until the early 17th century, governments and empires have been circulating news through publications for hundreds of years. In Ancient Rome, Julius Caesar made public Acta Diuma ( latin for Daily Acts). These publications were government announcement bulletins carved in metal or stone and they were posted in public places. The first form of this publication appeared around 59 BC.
Throughout the time period of the Roman Empire, emperors often censored what was published in the Acta Diuma.When the seat of the emperor was moved to Constantinople in 330, publishing of the Acta Diuma ceased. China was the next empire where a type of newspaper appeared. In early China, government produced news sheets called, tipao. The tipao was dispersed among court officials during the late Han dynasty and featured announcements and news that was intend to be seen only by bureaucrats.
During the Tang Dynasty (713-734) the Kaiyuan Za Bao or the Bulletin of the Court, published government news. The bulletin was handwritten news on silk and read largely by government officials.In the early Europe days, the increase of relations between countries created a rising need for information. The government of Venice first published the monthly Notizie Scritte in 1556. These were handwritten newsletters published to inform on political, military and economic news throughout Italy. The Arrival of Newspapers Although all of these publications were forms of spreading news and mimicked the modern day newspapers, they did not meet the criteria of being called a newspaper.
The media known as newspapers did not emerged until the 17th century.The arrival of newspapers is ften contributed to the spread and growing popularity of the printing press. Johann Carolus was a resident in Strasbourg, Germany and is often credited with publishing the first newspaper, Relation allure fumemmen und gedenckwurdigen historian German for Collection of all distinguished and commemorable news. In the 1600's many other newspapers begin to arise throughout Europe. Amsterdam, a busy trade city at the time, quickly became home to various sorts of newspapers.
It was in Amsterdam that the first English-language newspaper was written, Corrant out of Italy, Germany, etc. A year later in England he first newspaper appeared, an extended version of the Corrant. In 1631 the first newspaper in France was published, La Gazette, originally Gazette de Fance. in 1645 the first newspaper was published in Portugal. The Gaceta de Madrid was Spain's first newspaper in 1661. Newspapers in the United States of America While Europe was seeing the rise in newspapers, so were the American Colonies.
In 1690 Benjamin Harris attempted to publish the first American newspaper. His "Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick only had one edition released before the government put an end to it. The New England Courant founded by James Franklin, brother of Benjamin Franklin, is considered the first independent American newspaper. It was in this newspaper that Benjamin Franklin himself wrote dozens of articles under the pseudonym Silence Dogood. The Courant looked very similar to a newspaper printed in London called the Spectator.Benjamin Franklin became one of the major contributors to newspapers as we know it today.
When he broke free from his family and made a name for himself in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania he bought out one of the news sheets printed there. He turned the paper into he Pennsylvania Gazette. The Gazette was newspaper as we know it today. Filled with news, comics, advertisements and other desired sections.
The gazette updated people both politically, economically and periodically militarily. The paper was also printing often.The influence of Franklin's gazette was widespread. oon after he got his paper going many others began throughout the colonies including, The South Carolina Gazette and the Virginia Gazette.
During the 1700's and the 1800's the newspapers printed often focused on news, war, politics or important happenings in America. It ecame a tool used for influence in both the Revolutionary War and the American Civil War. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the newspaper in America would see many changes occur. By the late 1800's newspapers were wide spread across america, printed daily, and a part of most people's every day life.
The way in which Americans received their news was by newspaper, if it wasn't in the paper, then it wasn't news. But with the rise of so many newspapers in one specific area meant that newspapers now had to compete to remain the best selling paper in their region and to ensure they stay in business. To do so many different things occurred that would change newspapers forever. Late 19th Century and Early 20th Century Changes Muckraker is defined as a person who investigates and exposes issued of corruption.In the 1890's, these investigations began to be published as desired news stories in newspapers competing to get read. These writers served the public interest in going undercover to report on crime, corruption, waste, fraud and abuse.
One of the most famous muckraker was a woman by the name of Nellie Bly. Nllie Bly was just the pen name for one of the most well known investigative ournalist, Elizabeth Jane Cochran. The story that made her famous was one that saw her spending ten days in the Women's Lunatic Asylum on Blackwell's Island in New York.Many reports of abuse and mistreatment of the patients were reported there and Bly investigated by going undercover as an insane patient. After spending ten days there, she was released and published an article about the mistreatment and later wrote a book called, Ten Days in a Madhouse. The next change to newspapers that came about was the rise in Yellow Journalism.
Yellow Journalism refers to journalism that eports on scandal, sensationalism and other unethical or unprofessional issues. The rise of yellow journalism is due in part to the competition of circulation between Joesph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst.Pulitzer and Hearst both became big name newspaper owners in their own way in New York City. Hearst, who was the heir to a mining business in San Francisco, started out his journalistic career with the San Francisco Times, while Pulitzer started his off as a writer for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Through hard work and determination both men became the name to be in the newspaper ndustry. As both men become prominent in New York, their papers competed against each other in sales. Thus, each paper began to write their papers in a way that would be more appealing and in the end sell more.This would be a trend that newspapers kept for a while and are still around today, and mainly used in what is now Tabloids. The Arrival of Radio As the years went on newspapers continued to thrive.
They were there when the Titanic sank, they reported when the first flight was taken. They were the american peoples' source of news during World War I. It seemed that newspapers were rising and would always be the way in which things got around. Soon, two more mediums would arise that would challenge newspapers and their place in the news world.When radio first appeared, not many people believed it would ever turn into something so accepted as the newspaper was.
But it wasn't long until the radio became the new thing to have. News reports, entertainment, and stories times, helped the radio to gain popularity. President Franklin Roosevelt used the radio to his advantage to get into the homes of the American people. slowly ushing newspapers to the side. With the rise of radio, newspapers had to continue to compete to stay alive, not against other newspapers, but against the new medium of radio.
The Appearance of Television Television followed radio in becoming the next medium to be a source of news. Unlike radio and newspapers, television gave the opportunity for news to be presented both live and in person. With competition between both radio and television, newspapers still managed to find it's place in the homes of Americans and provide news just as effectively as the television and radio did. Newspapers are Slowly Dying Since 2006, newspapers have taken one of the deepest plunges in recent history.The continued slide and decay of newspapers continues still today.
Although many still exists, the mediums in which news gets out are becoming more and more popular than newspapers. With the internet, television, radio, mobile devices, etc. , newspapers are finding it harder and harder to keep up with the rate and speed at which news is instantly received in today's society. Newspapers have been around for a long time, they have always played an important part in society and while still today an mportant source of information, are slowly dying.Dated back to the Ancient Roman Empire newspapers have always played a certain part in society. Whether it was reporting on government or military happenings, covering local, national news, advertisement, investigative, or just something comical, newspapers have always had a place in the home of the reader.
That is, they used to have a secured place. With the rise in other instantaneous mediums, newspapers may find that they speed in which they get out their news, may not be up to speed with the rate in which people want their news.
