The American Press

The first newspaper in British North America, Publick Occurrences Both Foreign and Domestick appeared in 1690 and was immediately suppressed by the governor of Massachusetts. The first regular newspaper in the colonies did not appear until 1704, and it was published by authority of the government. It was the weekly Boston News-Letter, published by John Campbell, the postmaster. Another paper replaced it in 1719: the Boston Gazette, published by postmaster James Franklin, an older brother of Benjamin Franklin. Two years later James Franklin started his own New-England Courant. This was the beginning of independent journalism in the United States.

Now the public’s right to know is one of the central principles of American society. The first ten Amendments to the Constitution of the United States became law in 1791. The First Amendment says, in part, that “Congress shall make no law ... abridging the freedom of speech or, of the press ... .” By the early 1800-s, the United States had entered a period of swift technological progress that would mark the real beginning of “modern media”. The high-speed printing press was developed, driving down the cost of printing. Publishers realised that a profitable future belonged to cheap newspapers with large readerships and increased advertising. The press went from a small upper class readership to mass readership in just a few years. Competition for circulation and profits was fierce. The pressure for large circulation created one of today’s most important press standards: objective, or unbiased reporting. The swing to objective reporting was the key to the emergence of the New York Times. Most journalists consider the Times the nation’s most prestigious newspaper. It is used as a major reference tool by American libraries, and is standard reading for diplomats, scholars and government officials.

Nowadays daily newspapers in the major American cities usually contain from 40 to 100 or more pages on weekdays. Daily papers in small cities of 20,000 people contain about 20 pages on weekdays. Sunday editions of major papers have 200 or more pages. This size is explained by 2 main reasons. First, a newspaper carries items of interest to everyone – young people and old people, businessmen and workers, buyers and sellers. Second, the selling price is not enough to pay for producing the paper. In order to earn additional money, newspapers sell advertising space to private citizens and business firms, and a large part of the paper is taken up by advertisement. For example, The Sunday edition of the New York Times weighs about 4 pounds. Features of most newspapers include sections on entertainment, finance and industry, science, home improvement, computer technology, and travel and tourism. There are reviews of books, concerts, plays, motion pictures, and ballets; detailed sports coverage; columns on astrology, fashion, photography, personal advice, bridge, and chess; obituary notices; engagement and wedding announcements; television listings (often in a special supplement); comic strips (except for the New York Times); crossword puzzles; magazine supplements; and abundant advertising, including classified ads.

The new technologies made possible regional and national newspapers. In the late 1970s the New York Times inaugurated a national edition in the United States. It was transmitted by satellite to several regional printing centers. Another American paper, the Wall Street Journal, is published in four regional editions. Content and page makeup are transmitted by satellite. The Journal, a business-oriented newspaper, has the largest circulation of any national newspaper in the United States. In 1982 a new national newspaper began publication in the United States—USA Today. It is published in one edition but at several printing plants throughout the nation. The newspaper has gained a wide popularity, partly because of its extensive use of color graphics.

Not all newspapers are general circulation dailies or weeklies. There are also specialized newspapers. Many are devoted to specific kinds of news, while others are designed for limited readerships. Nearly every segment of the North American economy has one or more newspapers. Variety covers all aspects of show business. Billboard deals with music, radio, and television, while Rolling Stone covers music and current events. Women's Wear Daily is a fashion journal. The Oil Daily is published for the petroleum industry. Fans of horse racing read the Daily Racing Form. These are all national publications, and some of them are published in regional editions.