Journalism in the Nineteenth Century.

Nineteenth Century Journalism

The nineteenth century saw Journalism begin to evolve into the industry that it is today. After ‘The Daily Courant’ was introduced in 1702, daily newspapers quickly became popular and therefore profitable. By the seventeenth century there were around 234 newspapers being published in America. The nineteenth century also saw a rise in investigative journalism.

The concept of ‘yellow press’ or ‘yellow journalism’ came about in nineteenth century America. This is the name that was given to the catchy headlines and the sensationalism that was used to sell papers. Techniques used today by British tabloid newspapers resemble yellow journalism, however, due to libel laws; stories tend to have a lot more truth to them today. This form of journalism peaked in 1861 due to the American Civil War where the demand for news increased. This meant more competition between newspapers. Around this time newspapers were beginning to be managed like businesses, looking to make money, rather than simply support political parties as they previously had done.

In Britain, journalism seemed to be developing quite differently. It is described by Denys Thompson in his text: ‘A Hundred Years of The Higher Journalism’ as providing ‘many intelligent people with a livelihood and an opportunity of using their talent without feeling that it was wasted.’ He also suggests that ‘Journalism gave expression to the greatest minds of the time’. It could be argued that the high quality of British Journalism in the nineteenth century is not surprising, as uneducated people would have been unable to read. Newspapers and magazines were being produced by wealthy, intelligent people, for other wealthy, intelligent people. Journalism in nineteenth century Britain (particularly London) can be characterised by consistently high standards, and an appreciation for politics and the arts.

One of the key factors of change to journalism in the nineteenth century was the development of photography. By 1840, Cameras were being used both commercially and as a hobby, although there was still no way of mass producing photographs. If a publication wanted to use a photo, they had to use a woodcut. By around 1890, photographs were able to be used with the printing press, thanks to the development of the ‘half-toning process’. These developments completely changed the way that journalists worked; they were now able to add in an element of evidence to their publications. This also expanded the target market of the journalist, causing people to buy newspapers and magazines even if they were unable to read.

It seems as though during the nineteenth century, journalism began its ascendance to prominence in both America and Britain. The American Civil War and the abolition of slavery made America pay attention to news in an entirely new way, whereas ‘higher journalism’ in Britain gave a platform to many 1people with opinions on politics, art and philosophy. The Industrial Revolution also helped with the mass production of newspapers and magazines throughout the world, and the rise in immigration led to these publications being recreated in different languages.

http://www.thefossils.org/horvat/higher/higher.htm
http://www.ablongman.com/stovall1e/chap21/chap21.html
Louis James: Print and the People 1819-1851
Aspinall: Politics and the press 1780-1830

Sam Ashton