Intro to Mass Communication Chapter 4 - Newspapers

Areopagitica

John Milton’s 1644 treatise that criticized the British Parliament’s regulation of texts, which paved the way for the freedom of the press and was considered by the writers of the U.S. constitution 

Penny Press

A newspaper format popular in the 1830s, printed on small paper sizes with a fast printing press and sold for one penny 

Sensationalism

The use of crime, violence, emotion, and sex in headlines to sell papers 

Tabloids

Weekly or biweekly journals that focus on entertainment or local issues. These papers typically sensationalize stories 

Yellow Journalism

Made famous by Pulitzer and Hearst, this style of journalism uses sensationalism, misleading stories, and distorted images to boost sales 

Objectivity

Impartiality in writing 

Inverted Pyramid Style

A journalistic style in which the most important information is placed in the lead paragraph, with additional information appearing in order of importance 

Interpretive Journalism

A style of writing that goes beyond providing basic facts to include context and analysis of an event or issue 

Op-Ed

An abbreviation of opposite the editorial page. An op-ed is an article written by an unaffiliated journalist that expresses opinions 

Byline

The credit line identifying the author of the article 

Literary Journalism

A style of journalism that combines journalistic and fictional styles 

Advocacy Journalism

A style of journalism that expresses a biased position to generate support for a cause 

Niche Newspapers

Newspapers designed to reach a specific target group 

Underground Press

Papers that are typically printed with a small budget and that cover stories and events of interest to members of alternative or counter cultures 

Watchdog Journalism

Independent scrutiny by the press of the activities of government, business, and other public institutions to document, question, and investigate those activities to provide the public and officials with timely information on issues of public concern 

Paywall

A digital feature that requires a reader or viewer to pay for content after a certain number of visits 

“News Deserts”

Places where people have limited information about their communities 

Ancient Romans

Published the first newspaper, Acta Diurna or daily doings in 59 BCE

(No copies of this paper survived, and it is widely believed to have published chronicles of events, assemblies, births, deaths, and daily gossip)

Avisi (gazettes)

1566 modern ancestor of newspaper appeared in Venice, Italy; handwritten and focused on politics and military conflicts

First Weekly Papers to use Gutenberg’s Press

Relations: Aller Furnemmen printed by Johann Carolus; Aviso Relations over Zeitung printed by Lucas Schulte 

Dutch-Style (corantos)

Densely packed 2–4-page paper 

German-Style Pamphlets

More expensive 8-24-page paper

World’s Oldest Surviving Newspaper

1650 a German publisher began printing Einkommende Zeitung 

First American Newspaper

September 25, 1690, when Benjamin Harris printed Public Occurrences, Both FORREIGN and DOMESTICK

Partisan Press

During the war (American Revolution) newspapers published information representing opposing and political viewpoints which gave birth to this

Sedition Act (1798) 

Law made against the freedom of the press (in America); Any “writing, printing, uttering, or publishing any false, scandalous and malicious writing or writings against the government of the United States” was punishable by fine and imprisonment

First Penny Press

September 1833, Benjamin Day created The Sun; Printed on small, letter-sized pages, and sold for just a penny; Employed the steam-driven, two-cylinder press to print it

Telegraph

Major technological breakthrough for newspapers came when Samuel Morse invented this; Newspapers turned to emerging companies of this to receive up-to-date news briefs from cities across the globe 

Associated Press (AP)

Cooperative arrangement among five major New York Papers (New York Sun, Journal of Commerce, Courier and Enquirer, New York Herald, and Express) 

Joseph Pulitzer

New York World publisher; established a school of journalism and has an award named after him (Pulitzer Prize – awarded for excellence in journalism)

William Randolph Hearst

Publisher of the New York Journal; had created the country’s largest media-holding company (by 1922), and had owned 20 daily papers, 11 Sunday papers, 2 wire services, 6 magazines, and a newsreel company

“Paper War”

Between New York World (Pulitzer) and New York Journal (William Randolph Hearst – an admirer and principal competitor of Pulitzer); Attempted to outsell one another; Papers slashed prices back down to a penny, stole editors and reporters from each other, and filled their papers with outrageous, sensationalist headlines

Stunt Journalism

Reported on aspects of life that had previously been ignored by the publishing industry

First Amendment

Constitutional Amendment that protected freedom of the press

New York Times

First newspaper to employ objectivity in order to reach a wide range of readers

Adolph Ochs

Took a gamble and bought The New York Times in 1896; Said paper wouldn’t follow sensationalist style and instead would be “clean, dignified, trustworthy and impartial”; New motto would be “All the News That’s Fit to Print”

Time Magazine

in 1923 the first major publication to step away from objectivity and move toward providing readers with a more analytical interpretation of the news (interpretive journalism)

Cold Blood

written by Truman Capote in 1965 and is often credited with starting a real wave of literary journalism

Tom Wolfe

Sometimes called the father of new journalism; “There Goes (Varoom! Varoom!) That Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby”

Precision Journalism

Style of journalism that consciously employs social and behavioral science and research which an emphasis on factual reporting through statistics, polls, and data; Emerged in the 1970s; Became more popular as computer software and hardware became more powerful and available; More common term is data journalism (one of the fastest growing parts of the field)

Phillip Meyer

Commonly acknowledged as the father of precision journalism

Most Famous Underground Paper

Village Voice founded in 1955

Agenda Setting

The ability of the news to tell us what to think about, to set an agenda of what is important for people to consider

The New York Times

Long been understood as setting the agenda for many of the other agenda setters

Famous Example of Watchdog Journalism

Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein of The Washington Post and uncovering information about the Watergate break-in and scandal that ultimately resulted in the resignation of President Nixon

Local News

refers to reporting and coverage about a place, reporting that would not be of much interest to people in another place

Challenges Among Newspapers

Coming of the internet and advertisers moving their money from newspapers to social media

The New York Times

One of the largest newspapers in the country but also the most influential; Based in New York City, sometimes called the media capital of the world, the paper can be understood as one of the few national, even international newspapers; Founded in 1851 but purchases out of bankruptcy in 1896 by Adolph Ochs; Owned by the New York Times Company; Motto “All the News That’s Fit to Print”

The Wall Street Journal

Established in the late 1800s; Focused on business and financial news; International paper that uses in-depth reporting with few images; Large niche business audience; First to implement a successful paywall

The Washington Post

First published in 1877; Washington D.C. oldest and largest paper; Developed a strong investigative journalism style; Long owned by the Graham family but sold to Jeff Bezos (founder of Amazon) in 2013 

USA Today

Founded in 1982 by the Gannett Company; Paper was designed from the start to be a rarity in the United States – a national newspaper; Economic concept is to distribute the paper widely and make money not from subscribers, but from purchases and advertising; Often has the top print circulation of any newspaper in a given year; Short, easy to read contend, infographics, and visually focused layout

Chicago Tribune

First established in 1847; Often remembered for famously miscalling the 1948 presidential election with the headline of “Dewey Defeats Truman”; Became known for its watchdog journalism, including a specific watchdog section for issues facing Chicago

Fredrick the Great of Prussia

Absolute monarch who allowed for the freedom of the press; “My people and I have come to an agreement that satisfies us both. They are to say what they please, and I am to do what I please.”

1641

Every European country had a newspaper by

1690

First newspaper in the colonies

John Milton

Areopagitica, 1644; First person to write a book about newspapers (about freedom of thought and ideas along with the circulation of ideas); Argues that we need the free press; That press has a role to play in society (keeps government in check by informing everyone what the government was doing)

First Amendment

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceable to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances