Virtually every book on antebellum american culture has a chapter on the penny press. It ushered in the era where the amount of news content was solely based on how much advertisment was sold. It started in the midst of major advances in transportation and communication. See all on journalism gender issues lectures in history. In 1973, william and penny kanter purchased a struggling crosswordmagazine business and relaunched the company with the new name penny press.
Describe the effect of objectivity on modern journalism. The penny press is generally considered to have started in 1833, when benjamin day founded the sun, a new york city newspaper. American journalism historians association salt lake city, ut, october 69, 1993. Penny press newspapers were cheap, tabloidstyle newspapers massproduced in the united states from the 1830s onwards. Select the correct historical order among the following major eras in journalism history partisan journalism, penny press, yellow press, objective news which of the following eras of journalism best represents the historical arrival of newspapers as a mass media. Over the years, many new publications have been added to the line, and dell magazines now publishes a large array of specialized puzzle magazines and books. Literally costing one penny, they became famous after mass producing print publications became more inexpensive and accessible for companies.
During the 19th century, newspapers began to expand and appear outside eastern u. Founder of the sun which was seen as the pioneer of the penny press. Ed 360 650 cs 2 980 author williams, julie hedgepeth title the founding of the penny press. Mass production of inexpensive newspapers became possible following the shift from handcrafted to steampowered printing. Professor schudson analyzes the shifts in reportorial style over the years and explains why the belief among journalists and readers alike that.
This volume is written in a very practical way, and alludes to, but doesn. Partisan journalism, penny press, yellow journalism, objective 15215938. With these new publications, the lower classes were newly introduced to the latest information unlike before. The chapter on the helen jewett murder in gilfoyles exploration of new yorks sex industry sporting men provides a representative and interesting introduction to the press and its role. What lasting effects did the penny press have on modern journalism. A medical student was the one that had the idea of publishing a cheap newspaper. The contents became eventoriented and covered local beats, and sensational stuffs ratner, 2003. If you pay attention to the press today, you might be familiar with a charge news outlets are constantly throwing at each other. For william randolph hearst, one of americas most important newspaper publishers, news was what someone wants to stop you from printing. The journalism world, in the midst of the penny press age, takes full advantage of this invention. The significance of the penny press the penny press. The penny press revolution comm455history of journalism. History of publishing history of publishing newspaper publishing.
The author has adopted a delightful storytelling voice to discuss a deeply important issue in journalism. Newspapers were filled with local news, sports, business and entertaining stories. Penny press, newspapers, religion reporting, religion journalism, press, new york herald, james gordon bennett, religion, politics judith m. The website also says that these subscriptions cost about the same as an average. Penny press signaled a democratic reformation for journalism. Mass media exam 1 at university of texas brownsville. Because of this, only the wealthy could afford most newspapers. Pub date apr 93 note 28p paper presented at the annual meeting of the.
The penny press journalists quickly realized that the type of news the upper class was. Fun puzzles to enhance your focus, memory retention and overall memory ability. The penny press began the revolution of the way of journalism. Vision press susan thompson produced a complete, and recent, discussion of the penny press using both the business and journalistic standpoints. London had a penny press before new york had a penny press. The history of the sun,the herald, and the tribune disprove the idea advanced by journalism scholars that the penny press founded in the 1830s foreshadowed modern journalism. If they dont tell you all you want to know about a disney pressed penny topic, they offer links to more extensive and focused pressed penny references like our well known pressed penny guides, variation indexes and infamous pressed penny articles. For some journalism historians it was the origin of the true journalism. Businessmen like bennett targeted the mass population with stories. James gordon bennett played a part in this evolution of journalism. Reasoning that a growing workingclass audience would respond to a newspaper that was affordable, his invention of the penny press was a genuine milestone in american journalism history. Explain the effect of the penny press on modern journalism. The first journalist to use the telegraph, reported incorrect information about a vote taken in congress, a prime example of the need for timeliness over accuracy. I have been doing them for years, and now my 8year.
Press would also have benefited from the historical and international per spective on news and journalism pro vided in mitchell stephensa history of news. Venice in the midsixteenth century is, consequently, one place a history of journalism, at least newspaper journalism, might begin. Professor ruth macdonald talked about the history of nutritional standards and government. A community needs news, said the british author dame rebecca west, for the same reason that a man needs eyes. What lasting effects did the penny press have on modern. Penny presses were large in the 1800s, known for their tabloid feel and low cost. Association for education in journalism and mass communication. Benjamin day was a printer from new england who started a trend in american journalism when he founded a new york city newspaper, the sun, which sold for a penny.
They were using human stories, observation and interviews, to provide realism to the stories. This examination of crime reporting in the penny press era will become a classic in american journalism history. History of publishing newspaper publishing britannica. Newspapers were set at an average of 6 cents per copy prior to the introduction of the penny press. All of these meanings revolve around the penny, a small unit of coin which is common to many currencies. Define sensationalism and yellow journalism as they relate to the newspaper industry. But thats exactly what i love about penny dell puzzles. The slogan of the paper was it shines for all, and it was sold at the price of 1 penny. The contributors analyze the role of sensationalism and tell the story of both the rise of the penny press in the 1830s and the careers of specific editors and reporters dedicated to this particular journalistic style. But as this age is focused on timeliness and competition, accuracy was out the window. Annotated bibliography penny press to digital journalism. Famous for costing one cent while other newspapers cost around six cents, penny press papers were revolutionary in making the news accessible to middle.
We dont spend a lot of time talking about our professions history, even though history might teach us a good deal about today. A number of penny newspapers the penny press benjamin day. The newspapers cost around six cents each, and their main topics focused mainly on. Therefore, publishers progressively added to the penny press newspapers novelties including new sensationalism. Describe the historical roots of the modern newspaper industry. This allowed newspapers to be sold at the low price of a penny instead of 6 cents like other newspapers.
Historic pages claims that newspapers prior to the introduction of the penny press sold yearly subscriptions that usually had to be paid in advance. Nothing new under the sun, the herald, or the tribune. The penny press was the term used to describe the revolutionary business tactic of producing newspapers which sold for one cent. Buddenbaum is professor emerita in the department of journalism and technical communication at colorado state university where she taught courses on religion and media. Professor schudson analyzes the shifts in reportorial style over the years and explains why the belief among journalists and readers alike that newspapers must. Within in two years it was selling 20,000 copies a day, despite a price increase to two cents. History of american journalism introduction shmoop. I also criticize the implications of this mythology for subsequent debate about u. Frederic hudson, one of the first to write about the history of american journalism, believed the rise of the penny press to be a key factor in the development of.
Penny press creator benjamin day changed journalism. After purchasing a steam press of his own, day was able to significantly increase his production. In the 1830s, as new yorks middle and workingclass ranks grew, so, too, did the publics appetite for news. Select the correct historical order among the following major eras in journalism history. The book is also a rich source of resources for further study on the topic. I history and development of mass communications lauriethomas. By studying the history and evolution of books, magazines, and newspaper you will gain some truly valuable knowledge, particularly if you are in the field of print media and journalism. Penny press, yellow journalism, ethics flashcards quizlet. The term penny press can have several different meanings, including the original historic meaning of a specific type of newspaper commonly hawked in the streets during the 1800s. This instructive and entertaining social history of american newspapers shows that the very idea of impartial, objective news was the social product of the democratization of political, economic, and social life in the nineteenth century. History of print journalism professions on the web. Over the course of its long and complex history, the newspaper has undergone many transformations. American poetry and the daily newspaper from the rise of. International history of journalism mitchell stephens.
Before the time of the penny press, newspapers were too costly for the average person to be able afford on a daily basis. A great place to start the discussion is a book i just read called discovering the news by michael schudson. The revolution in american journalism in the age of egalitarianism. Penny press is an independent publisher based in coventry, uk. The penny press was important to the evolution of journalism because it changed the way newspapers were ran. Benjamin day began printing the sun in new york city on sept. Pennies are usually among the smallest unit of currency, and the term penny is sometimes used to. Penny press and the birth of modern religion reporting. The pressed penny history and stories that follow are a great place to start your visit here at.
Internet, linotype, marconi, muckraking, papyrus, penny press, press association, satellite, yellow journalism contents 1. Our science publications focus on using the history of the universe to introduce a wide range of science and so showing where we are within the universe and how we got here. The sun offered its readers stories of human interest, crime, tragedy, etc. We publish books and websites dealing with science and technology. From the 1830s onward the penny press began to play a major role in american journalism and technological advancements such as the telegraph and faster printing presses in the 1840s helped expand the press of the nation as it experienced rapid economic and demographic growth. Yellow journalism introduction the number of newspapers grew during the penny press era until, come 1900, the number of english speaking daily newspapers not including weeklies and foreign language dailies grew to about 1,967. Bulla have gathered a colorful collection of essays exploring sensationalism in nineteenthcentury newspaper reporting. And often, these accusations are accompanied by lots of angry fingerpointing. Day launches the first edition of the new york sun priced at one cent wide appeal changes in american life changes in journalism rise of penny press introduction of machinery and factory system rapid.
Although these early penny press giants did contribute in some ways to future journalism, their newspapers contained much material that could not be considered. There were changes in press role and the concept of news and newsgathering. Penny press papers revolutionized content by declaring their. Of course, people who have studied journalism history know thats not true. The penny press journalists quickly realized that the type of news the upper class was interested in was different from the lower class.