The historic development of American newspapers and their future
By Hong-yu Li
In 1690, the first multi-page newspaper in America published by Benjamin Harris. It was shut down after only one-day publication due to the license issue. In 1721, the New England Courant first printed by James Franklin. It was one of the first independent newspapers in the American colonies. Soon afterwards newspapers appeared in most of the colonies, and larger cities enjoyed reading several different papers. Newspapers gained readers when Americans started debating separation from England – an issue that the colonists saw as essential to their lives. When the Revolutionary War broke out, dozens of papers were being published. By the time the war ended in 1783, an estimated 43 newspapers were operating. The press played a vital role in the affairs of the new nation. By 1835, steam engines were used to drive presses, making it possible to push circulations even higher. The industrial revolution, as it transformed all aspects of American life, dramatically affected newspapers. Both the numbers of papers and their paid circulations continued to rise. The 1850 census catalogued 2,526 titles. And advances in mechanical paper making technology dramatically increased the availability of newsprint at low costs. Papers would cost as little as one cent. “Penny press” newspapers meant that average working people could buy a paper, greatly expanding potential reading audiences (Chapter 12, Page 318 – 319). Throughout the 19th century, several technological developments let to the expansion of newspapers. The development of the telegraph had a profound impact on newspapers. Suddenly, for news, time and space collapsed (Chapter 6, Page 156). As we all know, throughout mass media history, newspapers have played a very important and dominant role in the history of American society. Newspapers not only provided news to their readers, but also played an essential role in political communication format. For example, the anniversary of July 4, 1776 is celebrated as Independence Day in the United States even though the American Revolution had started a year earlier, for on that day, Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence after declaring independence from Great Britain two days earlier. The Declaration was printed as a broadside, a single, large sheet of paper printed on one side. Broadsides were often used to publish public notices, advertisements, and the words to popular ballads and songs. On July 6, the Pennsylvania Evening Post printed the Declaration in a newspaper for the first time (Chapter 6, Page 159).
However, by the second half of the 20th century, newspapers started seeing decline in readership. Facing competition from television and other sources, many papers were forced to close. The United States had 267 fewer newspapers in 1990 than it had in 1940. By 1992, only 37 cities in the United States had separately owned, competing daily newspapers (Chapter 12, Page 321). Meanwhile some other newspapers seek other ways to survive such as the Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun was founded on May 17, 1837. Like other newspapers, the Baltimore Sun suffered a number of setbacks. In 1996, the company introduced the Web site to its readers and the public.
The Baltimore Sun Web site offers Blogs to interact with its viewers; it also utilizes multimedia technologies on its Web site to attract public, such as photos, video clips. Its front page also has live news to constantly update news to bring to the public attention instantly.
I believe that the future of American newspapers will go digital and mobile to accommodate the efficient life style of the public in our modern society in an effective way.
