HISTORY
OF JOURNALISM
BIRTH of journalism
• History of JOURNALISM=history of
TECHNOLOGY
• Every society spreads news…
• Story of Marathon (490 B.C.)
• Wandering minstrels (middle ages 400’s-1400’s)
1400’s
• Printing press (around 1440)
– Gutenberg (Johann)
1500’s
• CENSORSHIP!
– Henry VIII
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•
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•
List of prohibited books
Forced printers to obtain licenses
Arrests for sedition (rebelling against authority)
“unfitting worddes”
1600’s
• 1610 – First weekly newspapers
– Cologne and Vienna
• 1644 – John Milton (poet) pleas for free
speech (Areopagitica)
– US later modeled free press rights after this
• 1690 - First American newspaper starts/fails
– Boston Publick Occurrences
1700’s
• 1704 – First successful American newspaper
• The Boston News-Letter
• 1729 – BEN FRANKLIN Pennsylvania Gazette
• Bold! Best paper!
• Postriders (throughout 1700’s) delivered news
• 1735 – Freedom of the press
– John Paul Zenger – libel (NY Governor) acquitted!
• 1765 – Stamp Act!
– Raised prices 50%...repealed after violent protest
– (Boston Tea Party 1773, Tea act 1773)
1700’s continued…
• 1776—Declaration of Independence printed in
more than 20 colonial newspapers
• 1783—First DAILY U.S. newspaper
• 1791—BILL OF RIGHTS!
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
peaceably to assemble, and to petition the
Government for a redress of grievances.
1800’s
• 1825 – First cylinder press!
1830’s
• Homing
pigeons!
(500 mpd)
• Pony Express!
1840’s
• Telegraph!
– Long-distance reporting
• Fredrick Douglass
– The North Star
– Fighting slavery
1850’s
• NEW YORK TIMES
1860-1870’s
• HUNDREDS of reporters cover a big event
– What was it?
– Civil War!
• First (practical) typewriter invented
• 1876
– What was invented?
– Telephone!
1880-90’s
• First
PHOTOGRAP
H
• First bylines
1900’s
• Early 1900’s--Mudrackers! Expose injustice!
Write for REFORM!
• 1920 – First regular RADIO SCHEDULE!
• 1934 – ASSOCIATED PRESS (photos)
• 1939 – Commercial TELEVISION
• 1963 – Kennedy assassination watched by
96% of people who had TVs.
1900’s cont.
• 1945 – 2,000 Americans owned televisions
• 1960 – 90% of American homes had TV
• Late 1960’s – Anti-war UNDERGROUND
newspapers!
• 1974 – Nixon brought down by investigative
reporting.
• 1976 – Apple II (home computer)
• 1976 – Nintendo!
1900’s cont.
• 1980 – Ted Turner– CNN! First 24-hour news
channel
• 1982 – USA Today
– SHOCKING!
– Short
– Colorful
• 1990’s – Internet wires the planet!
What’s next?
•
•
•
•
WikiLeaks
Wikipedia
Print newspapers are dwindling
On-line news sources
– Photos
– Videos
– Links
– Interactive
YOUR TASK!
• Make a timeline!
• Include 10 key events in the history of
journalism.
• Be creative!
• Work alone or with a partner.
• Make it memorable!
• Suggestions: Inspiration…string and
paper…PowerPoint…Timeglider.com…Comic
Life…