Journalism

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

the gathering and distributing of news and opinion by the medium of newspapers. It has come to ↑be one of the most important professions of civilized life. The first printed newspaper was called "The Gazette," and was published in Nuremberg in 1457. No copy of this has been preserved. The oldest printed paper existing is the "Neue Zeitung eitung aus Leitung Hispanien und Italien" (News from Spain and Italy), 1534, a copy of which is in the Nuremberg library. A weekly publication on called the "Frankfurt Journal" was started by Egenolf Emmel, in 1615. Thus, Germany was first in the introduction of newspapers, as she had been in the art of printing. In 1622 a paper called "The Weekly News" was published in London. The first French paper, "Gazette of France," was started in 1631, and has, with few interruptions, continued to the present day. The first daily paper in France was issued in 1777. The official organ of Sweden, "Potosch Inrikes Tidning," was commenced in 1644; that of Holland, the "Haarlem Courant," in 1656, and the "St. Petersburg Gazette" in 1703. The first paper in Turkey was issued in 1827. The first American paper was published in Boston, Sept. 25, 1690. It was called "Publick Occurrences, both Foreign and Domestic," and consisted of three pages, two columns to a page, and one page blank. It was intended to be a monthly, but was suppressed on its first appearance. The Boston "News Letter," generally considered the first American paper, was commenced April 24, 1704, by John Campbell. It was weekly, a printed on a sheet of foolscap, sometimes on a half sheet, and existed 72 years, till the British troops evacuated Boston, 1776. Its circulation was 300. The Boston "Gazette" appeared in 1719. Philadelphia's first paper was published in 1719, and New York's first paper in 1725. The most important paper of Colonial times was the New York "Weekly Journal," issued in that city in 1733. Its editor, John Peter Zenger, was arrested for libel, the first case of the kind in the American courts. The oldest paper in New York, the "Commercial Advertiser," under the name of the "Minerva." The first Western paper, called the "Sentinel of the Northwestern Territory," was founded by William Maxwell, in Cincinnati, 1793. The first national organ, the "National Intelligencer," was removed from Philadelphia to Washington in 1779. It had formerly been called the "Independent Gazetteer." It was followed by the "United States Telegraph." The "Union," 1852-1853, was the last of- 18, was the last of ficial organ. The first religious paper, at xoligious paper, called "The Recorder," was issued at was issued at Chillicothe, O., 1814, the "Boston Re- "Boston Re corder" appearing in 1816. The agricul- The agricultural press was inaugurated by the ated by the "American Farmer," published in Baltished in Baltimore in 1818, and the "Ploughboy" in Ploughboy" in Albany, 1821. The first successful com- Erst successful com mercial paper was the "New Orleans "New Orleans Prices Current," 1822. The first cheap 2. The first cheap paper was started in 1832 by Horace 1882 by Horace Greeley, in connection with Horatio with Horatio Shepard, but it did not prove a success. prove a success, Of the leading New York newspapers the ork newspapers the "Herald" was established in 1835 by ished in 1836 by James Gordon Bennett, the "Tribune" in 1841 by Horace Greeley, and the "Times" ad the in 1851 by Henry J. Raymond. bymond. In 1837 reporters came into service s into service and the sub-division and classification of ssification of editorial work began. In 1847 the Hoe 18 the Hos press with its rapid work made a revolurevolu tion in the press-room, and the following the following year the telegraph began to play an implay an im portant part. In 1849 the New York New York Associated Press was formed. This was This was a combination of the leading papers of papers of that city to facilitate the gathering of gathering of shipping news, and which has since been since been enlarged in its numbers and scope and scope and has been followed by many similar comsin ir commbinations. In 1859 the stereotyping of newspaper forms by the paper-matrix process was introduced and the Bullock circular press came into use. In 1860 trade papers first made their appearance, and the manufacture of paper out of wood-pulp and straw greatly reduced the cost of that heavy item of expense, and increased the circulation by lowering lation by the price of newspapers. The New York The "Tribune" was the first paper to use the Atlantic cable to report the news of the Franco-Prussian War, in 1870. To-day American papers excel all others in their hers in t general makeup, attractive headlines, fine illustrations, and the variety and the var interest of their special articles. The Spanish-American War of 1898 called 1898 called out the greatest possible enterprise and This enterprise and most lavish expenditure of money by our great daily papers. Despatch boats were catch boats wo hired at an expense of from $1,500 a day $1,500 a to $8,000 and $9,000 a month, some papers employing as many as from 5 to 10 craft of various kinds. Some of these followed closely the fleets at Manila and Santiago, and were under fire during the hottest of the battle. During the World War (1914-1918) American newspapers surpassed all others in the world in pubmost complete and reliable lishing the story of the conflict. At the front, and back of the lines American newspaper correspondents served their journals with the earliest and most important news. Their achievements, and the prodigal expenditure of the American newspaper proprietors for cables marked an era in journalistic history.