EP

Introduction to Mass Communication: Newspapers

A Short History of Newspapers

  • Earliest Newspapers:

    • Acta Diurna in Rome during Caesar’s era, written on tablets and posted on walls after Senate meetings.

  • 17th-Century Roots:

    • Corantos: One-page news sheets about significant events.

    • Diurnals: Early versions of daily newspapers, term entered English by 1660s.

  • Colonial Newspapers:

    • Broadsides posted by bookseller/print shops.

    • The Boston News-Letter (1704) was significant until the American Revolution.

    • John Peter Zenger jailed in 1734 for criticizing the royal governor, notable case of seditious libel.

  • Post-Independence Developments:

    • 1790: Bill of Rights established the First Amendment protecting freedom of speech and press.

  • Alien and Sedition Acts (1798):

    • Enacted to suppress dissent, not renewed in 1800.

  • The Birth of Modern Newspapers:

    • In 1833, Benjamin Day’s New York Sun introduced the penny press.

  • Correspondents System:

    • Pioneered by Gordon Bennett’s New York Morning Herald, with reporters in key cities.

  • The People’s Medium:

    • Freedom’s Journal (1827): The first African American newspaper.

    • The North Star (1847): Influential African American publication led by Frederick Douglass.

    • The Chicago Defender (1905): Key in the Great Northern Migration with powerful messages encouraging African Americans to leave the South.

  • Early Voices of Native Americans:

    • Cherokee Phoenix (1828) and Cherokee Rose Bud (1848): Early newspapers representing Native American perspectives.

  • Emergence of Wire Services:

    • In 1948, six papers pooled resources, marking the birth of domestic wire services like Associated Press (1900).

  • Yellow Journalism Era (1883):

    • Joseph Pulitzer’s sensationalist style emphasized headlines, illustrations, and crowd-pleasing stories.

  • Growth of Newspaper Chains (1910-1940s):

    • Subscriptions and advertising revenues experienced significant growth during this period.

Newspapers and Their Audiences

  • 60% of American adults read a daily newspaper weekly, indicating a decline in print circulation.

    • Daily newspapers decreased from 1,600 in 1990 to about 1,200 today.

  • Scope of Newspaper Industry (USA):

    • Over 7,000 newspapers, with 17% being dailies, 77% weeklies, and 8% semiweeklies.

  • Readership Statistics:

    • 100 million daily and 200 million weekly readers indicate high audience engagement despite declining circulation numbers.

The Newspaper as an Advertising Medium

  • Advertising Revenue Trends:

    • Print advertising fell by 62% from 2008 to 2018; however, over $14 billion in annual ad revenue remains.

    • Readers' demographics, such as income and education levels, are higher than average, making newspapers attractive spaces for local advertising.

Trends and Convergence in Newspaper Publishing

  • Loss of Competition:

    • Drastic decline in competitive newspapers; from 502 cities with multiple dailies in 1923 to fewer than 12 today.

  • Conglomeration Effects:

    • Hypercommercialism leading to erosion of editorial independence and mission.

    • Issues like sponsored content blur lines between news and advertising, with editorial staff facing cuts from vulture funds.

  • Nonprofit Journalism:

    • Emergence of crowdfunded journalism and partnerships with traditional news organizations.

  • Internet’s Impact:

    • Newspapers struggle to adapt, as younger audiences gravitate toward social media; only 20% of Americans subscribe to online news.

    • Challenges include replacing traditional revenue with digital alternatives.

  • Technological Adaptation:

    • High smartphone and tablet ownership (85% and 53%, respectively) leads to increased news access through apps.

    • Social media platforms like Facebook (36% of users) and Twitter (15% of users) as news sources.

Reasons Americans Pay for Online News Subscriptions

  1. Quality Content: 53%

  2. Support Good Journalism: 52%

  3. Convenience of Package: 50%

  4. Preferred Journalist: 35%

  5. Promotional Deals: 32%

  6. Ease of Payment: 30%

  7. Website/App Experience: 23%

  8. Work-Related Information Needs: 13%

  9. Other Membership Benefits: 11%

Changes in Newspaper Readership

  • Concerns over journalistic integrity due to shifts in content catering to younger audience interests, such as soft news vs. hard news.

Media Literacy Skills

  • Story Placement Awareness:

    • Significant stories placed “above the fold” and toward the left page influence reader focus and perception of importance, crucial for understanding agenda-setting.