2-MEDIA AND PUBLIC OPINION- THE 19th CENTURY EXAMPLES (4)

Dreyfuss Affair 1884

Dreyfuss Affair 1884

A scandal in 19th century France that involved the wrongful conviction of Alfred Dreyfuss, a Jewish French army officer, and the subsequent public outcry and media coverage.

The Dreyfuss Affair, marked by the publication of Emile Zola’s “J’accuse” in L’Aurore newspaper, was the first, and still one of the most poignant, examples of print media’s influence on public opinion.

Le Petit Journal

A French newspaper that played a significant role in shaping public opinion during the 19th century.

Press Freedom Act of 1881

Legislation in France that granted press freedom and abolished previous censorship, allowing newspapers to have a greater influence on public opinion.

J'accuse

An open letter written by Emile Zola and published in L'Aurore newspaper, accusing the French government of anti-Semitism and injustice in the Dreyfuss Affair.

Third Republic

The governing body in France from 1870 to 1940, which saw a significant increase in press freedom and the influence of the media on public opinion.

French press Golden Age

• 1870-1914

• New governing body came to power, the Third Republic

• Press Freedom Act of 29 July 1881

• No previous censorship

Social and economic factors

• Legal environment was not the only catalyst for this change in readership and scope of influence, technological advances and

  educational reform played a part as well.

• Jules Ferry legislation made education more accessible and increased literacy rates

• Industrialization revolutionized and expedited the publication

  process. Faster and cheaper

• Telegraph allowed for the speedier information gathering

• Newspapers, dailies and periodicals alike, became “un produit de consommation

Social and economic factors; as a result…

The public demand for information was growing and technology was able to supply it

• From 1870 to 1880, the overall number of newspapers in circulation nearly doubled, and the period from 1870-1914 saw the largest number of newspapers in circulation in the history of the French press

• Newspapers began to penetrate the lower classes and spread from city centers to provincial areas

French press features

1-New form of journalism: information over opinión

2-Popular contents (mass)

3-Clear and direct language

4-Cheap prices and large printing numbers

5-Business estructure-Economic solid base by advertising income

6-Concentration tendency (Trust)

Pulitzer

Joseph Pulitzer, a Hungarian-born American newspaper publisher who owned the New York World and played a major role in shaping public opinion through investigative journalism and sensationalism.

• Reavelead corruption scandals and gave coverage to the most sounded crimes to get closer to the public

• The world's circulation, which was 15,000 copies when Pulitzer

  acquired it, reached 600,000 in 1895, the highest in the United States.

  Pulitzer built its own building for the newspaper, the World Building,

  which with 20 floors was for several years the tallest office tower in

  the world. Several of his complaints prompted the authorities to act

  to improve the living conditions of the poor and immigrant

In 1885, Pulitzer launched a campaing

Urging its readers to contribute the funds needed to install the Statue of Liberty, a monument that France had given to the United States but with which the government did not know what to do. The response was enthusiastic: 120,000 people contributed the $100,000 required to build the pedestal on Bedloe Island (now Liberty Island), at the entrance to New York Harbor

Sensationalism features

1- Simple political line based upon popular classes ideology

2-Spectacular presentation and contents

3- Very cheap

4-Minimal ethical standars

5- Not inventing but “inducing”

6- Interaction with readers

Hearst

William Randolph Hearst, an American newspaper publisher who owned the New York Morning Journal and competed with Pulitzer, known for his aggressive style and sensationalist reporting.

• But Hearst developed a more aggressive style: not in line with sensationalism, his writing sometimes made up stories and reports, falsified photographs, spread rumours and plagiarismnews from other newspapers

• But his real goal was not in the world of communication, which he saw

  alone as a step towards politics. Hearst, ambitious and unscrupulous,

  aspired to be elected one day senator, and from there compete even for the White House

Yellow journalism

A term coined to describe the sensationalist and exaggerated reporting practices of newspapers like The World and the New York Morning Journal during the late 19th century.

The Yellow Kid

A popular comic strip created by Richard Outcault that was published in both The World and the New York Morning Journal, symbolizing the rivalry between Pulitzer and Hearst.

Yellow press

A type of journalism characterized by extreme sensationalism, aggressive tactics, and a lack of ethics and scruples.

Fickle

Having no defined political line and being prone to changing opinions or loyalties.

"Elite" press

A term referring to newspapers that aimed for higher journalistic standards and credibility.

Crisis to reactivation

The period of transition for the "elite" press from a state of crisis to renewed activity.

New York Times

A prominent newspaper known for its commitment to "clean journalism" and objective reporting.

"Clean journalism"

A concept emphasizing objective, reliable, and neutral information in news reporting.

Carr Von Anda

A journalist associated with the New York Times and known for his contributions to "clean journalism."

1850-1910 NYT circulation

The circulation figures of the New York Times during the period from 1850 to 1910, showing significant growth over time.

• 1896: just 9.000 units

• 1898: reduced the price to 1 cent

• 1904: 100.000 units

• 1910: 500.000 units

Inverted pyramid

A writing style in journalism where the most important information is presented at the beginning, followed by supporting details.

Three sources to confirm a fact

A journalistic practice of verifying information by cross-referencing it with at least three independent sources.

Truth as a beacon

The principle of seeking and presenting the truth as the guiding principle of journalism.

THE YELLOW KID

comic strip cready by Richard Outcault in 1895, first published in Pulitzer’s The Wolrld but it was “boust” by Hearst in 1898 for the Journal