History of journalism facts for kids
The history of journalism is all about how people have gathered and shared news over time. It shows how technology and trade have changed the way we get information. Long ago, before printing presses, news traveled mostly by word of mouth. Merchants, sailors, and travelers would bring stories back, and then peddlers and performers would spread them from town to town. Sometimes, scribes would write these stories down.
With the invention of the printing press, news could spread much faster and more reliably. Since the 1700s, newspapers have been the main way journalists share news. In the 1900s, radio and television became popular. Now, in the 2000s, the internet is a huge part of how we get our news.
Contents
How Early News Spread
In 1556, the government in Venice started publishing a monthly paper called Notizie scritte ("Written notices"). It cost one gazzetta, which was a Venetian coin. This is where the word "gazette" (another word for newspaper) comes from! These were handwritten newsletters called avvisi. They helped spread political, military, and economic news quickly across Europe, especially Italy, between 1500 and 1800. They were a bit like early newspapers, but not quite the same.
Most of these early publications were not for everyone. They often focused on specific topics and were not meant for the general public. However, they helped lead to what we now know as newspapers, which started appearing around 1601. In the 1400s and 1500s, long news stories called "relations" were published in England and France. In Spain, they were called "Relaciones."
News about single events was often printed on large sheets of paper called broadsheets, which were then posted for people to read. News also came in small books or pamphlets, often with woodcut pictures. Not many people could read back then, so these news stories were often read aloud to groups.
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By the 1400s, business people in Italian and German cities were already writing down important news events. They shared these with their business contacts. The idea of using a printing press for this kind of news started in Germany around 1600. Some early examples were "trade fair reports" called Messrelationen, which were news collections published twice a year for big book fairs starting in the 1580s.
The very first true newspaper was the weekly Relation aller Fuernemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien. It began in Strasbourg in 1605. Soon after, other newspapers like the Avisa Relation oder Zeitung (1609) appeared in Germany. By 1650, about 30 German cities had active newspapers.
In the 1600s, news traveled through well-known routes across Europe. Antwerp was a major center for news, connecting France, Britain, Germany, and the Netherlands. Another network linked Italy, Spain, and Portugal. People were most interested in news about wars, military events, politics, and court gossip.
After 1600, governments in France and England also started printing official newsletters. In 1622, the first English-language weekly magazine, "A current of General News," was published in England.
Big Changes in the 1800s
Newspapers became much more important in the 1800s because of many changes. New, faster printing presses and cheaper paper made it possible to print many more copies. More people were going to school and learning to read, so there were many more potential readers.
Political parties often supported newspapers. Later in the century, advertising became a major way for newspapers to make money. This led to a competition to have the most readers. Newspapers started to be less focused on one political party so that people from all parties would buy them.
In the 1860s and 1870s, there were about 6,000 newspapers in Europe. By 1900, this number had doubled to 12,000! Early newspapers were often four pages long. They had editorials, speeches, parts of novels, poetry, and a few small local ads. They were expensive, and many readers would go to a café to read the latest issue.
Major national newspapers like the London Times and the Paris Temps were expensive and aimed at political leaders. But as technology improved, presses got faster. The invention of automatic typesetting in the 1880s made it possible to print huge morning newspapers overnight. Cheap wood pulp replaced more expensive rag paper.
News gathering also became more professional, with special reporters. Laws that allowed freedom of the press and ended newspaper taxes helped newspapers grow. The price of a newspaper dropped to just one penny. In New York, a style called "Yellow Journalism" became popular. It used exciting stories, comics (which were colored yellow), a lot of focus on sports, less political news, and more stories about crime. Advertising also grew a lot, especially from big department stores. Newspapers also started including advice columns for women on family, home, and fashion.
Radio and Television News
Radio broadcasting started in the 1920s and was very popular in the 1930s and 1940s. People could hear the news as it happened.
Experimental television was being developed before World War II. It became widely available in the late 1940s and became very popular in the 1950s and 1960s. Television news then became a major way for people to get information, though radio news still continued.
Internet News
The internet changed journalism a lot, especially after 2000. "Free" news and online ads became available to everyone. This made it harder for many newspapers to make money from paid subscriptions and local advertising. Many newspapers faced financial problems.
Experts say that today's journalism is often about four things:
- Personalization: News tailored to you.
- Globalization: News from all over the world.
- Localization: News about your local community.
- Pauperization: Newspapers struggling financially.
Some news organizations have even become nonprofit to survive, and new nonprofit news groups have started to fill the gaps.
Journalism Around the World
Canada
Canadian newspapers have gone through five main stages:
- 1750-1800: Printing and newspapers first arrived, mainly for government news.
- 1800-1850: Printers and editors became more involved in politics.
- 1850-1900: Canadian editors worked to create a shared national identity.
- 1900-1980s: The industry became more professional, and newspaper chains grew.
- 1990s-Today: Outside companies took over chains, and the internet brought new competition.
China
Before 1910, journalism in China mostly served people from other countries. Protestant missionaries published the main Chinese newspapers to reach those who could read. These papers didn't focus much on hard news, but they taught the first Chinese journalists about Western ways of gathering news, writing editorials, and advertising.
After the 1911 Revolution, there was a big rise in Chinese pride and an end to censorship. People wanted professional, nationwide journalism. Major cities started their own newspapers. Journalists formed professional groups and tried to separate news from opinions. By the late 1920s, newspapers focused more on advertising and getting more readers.
Denmark
Danish news started in the 1540s with handwritten sheets. In 1666, Anders Bording began a state newspaper. Denmark was one of the first countries to allow press freedom in 1770, but this ended in 1799. From 1795 to 1814, newspapers pushed for a fairer society and supported tenant farmers against the powerful rich.
In 1834, the first liberal newspaper appeared, focusing more on actual news than opinions. The new constitution in 1849 gave the Danish press more freedom. Newspapers grew in the second half of the 1800s, often connected to political parties or worker unions. Modern features and printing methods appeared after 1900. By 1925, daily newspaper sales reached 1.2 million. During World War II, the Nazis censored newspapers, but underground newspapers were secretly printed to encourage resistance.
France
Early French Newspapers (1632-1815)
The first newspaper in France, the Gazette de France, started in 1632. It was created by the king's doctor, Theophrastus Renaudot, with the support of King Louis XIII. All newspapers were censored before being printed and were used to spread the king's messages.
Important magazines during this time included Mercure de France and Journal des sçavans (started in 1665 for scientists). Jean Loret was an early French journalist who shared weekly news about music, dance, and Parisian society from 1650 to 1665 in a fun, rhyming style. French newspapers were a bit behind British ones because they served the rich, while British papers focused on the middle and working classes.
The government in Paris censored newspapers. They sometimes criticized problems in the Church or government, but they supported the king. During the French Revolution, new newspapers became important for different political groups to spread their ideas. Jean-Paul Marat was a famous editor whose paper, L'Ami du peuple, strongly supported the rights of the common people. After 1800, Napoleon brought back strict censorship.
French Newspapers (1815-1914)
Magazines became very popular after Napoleon left in 1815. Most were in Paris and focused on literature, poetry, and stories. They served religious, cultural, and political groups. During political crises, they helped shape the views of their readers. For example, Catholic magazines in 1830 discussed the relationship between the Church and the government.
20th Century French Press
During World War I, newspapers faced problems like paper shortages and censorship. After the war, Parisian newspapers didn't grow much. A big success was Paris Soir, which didn't have a political agenda. It offered exciting stories to attract readers and serious articles to gain respect. By 1939, it sold over 1.7 million copies daily. Paris Soir also had a very popular women's magazine, Marie-Claire. Another magazine, Match, was inspired by the American photojournalism magazine Life.
In the 1930s, France was a democracy, but people were often kept in the dark about important foreign policy issues. The government controlled the media to spread messages that supported its foreign policy. Many leading journalists were secretly paid by the government. Most international news came through the Havas agency, which the government largely controlled.
Germany
The history of German journalism goes back to the 1500s. Germany invented printing and had its first newspapers in the 16th century. However, Germany was divided into many states until 1871, so no single newspaper became very powerful across the whole country.
India
The first newspaper in India, the Bengal Gazette, started in 1780. On May 30, 1826, Udant Martand (The Rising Sun) became the first Hindi-language newspaper in India. It was published in Calcutta (now Kolkata). In 1836, Maulawi Muhammad Baqir started the first Urdu-language newspaper, the Delhi Urdu Akhbar.
In the 1840s, India's press had many small daily or weekly papers. They usually stayed within their small communities and didn't try to unite the many different groups in India. British-Indian papers focused only on British interests. Englishman Robert Knight (1825–1890) founded two important English newspapers, The Times of India and The Statesman. These papers helped promote nationalism in India by showing people the power of the press and teaching them about political issues.
Italy
Early Italian News (1500-1700)
Before printed newspapers, handwritten newsletters were the fastest way to share military and political news in Italy. These were called avvisi, reporti, gazzette, and ragguagli. They helped spread news quickly, especially in Rome and Venice. Each court wanted to know what other courts were doing.
Over time, people started selling this information. Writers called menanti, reportisti, or gazzettieri set up news services. The news often traveled by postal service. Rome and Venice were key places for these news services. Rome was the capital of the Catholic Church, and Venice was a major trade center, so both had a lot of important people and events.
The news in Rome and Venice was different. Roman avvisi had church news, political gossip, and crime stories. They sometimes shared secrets from the government, which could get the writers into trouble. Some writers were even jailed or executed. Venetian avvisi were more careful and focused more on business news.
Italian Printed News (1600s)
Printed avvisi didn't appear in Italy until the mid-1600s. One reason might be that handwritten news was easier to get past censors. Also, people who copied news by hand didn't want printing to take their jobs. Some clients also preferred handwritten news because it seemed more special than "common" printed news.
By the late 1630s, handwritten news sheets became less important because they were expensive and didn't reach many people. The first printed newspaper in Italy is thought to be Genova, which started in 1639. By the mid-1600s, printed news sheets were common in many Italian cities. The Gazzetta di Mantova, which started in June 1664, is the world's oldest newspaper still published under the same name.
In 1668, the first Italian science journal, the Giornale de' Letterati, was published. It helped share research and cultural news from Italy across Europe and brought news from other countries to Italy.
Latin America and the Caribbean
British influence spread around the world through its colonies and business. Merchants in big cities needed up-to-date market and political information. The Diário de Pernambuco started in Brazil in 1825. El Mercurio began in Chile in 1827. Peru's most important newspaper, El Comercio, first appeared in 1839. Argentina got its newspapers, La Prensa (1869) and La Nacion (1870), much later.
In Jamaica, early newspapers often showed the views of white plantation owners who had slaves. In 1826, two free people of color, Edward Jordan and Robert Osborn, started The Watchman. This was Jamaica's first anti-slavery newspaper. It openly fought for the rights of free people of color. In 1830, Jordan was arrested for criticizing the slave owners, but he was found not guilty. He later became the Mayor of Kingston.
After slavery was abolished in the 1830s, the Gleaner Company was founded by two Jamaican Jewish brothers, Joshua and Jacob De Cordova. Their newspaper, the Gleaner, became very important. Later, in the early 1900s, a black nationalist movement grew, fighting for more political rights. Osmond Theodore Fairclough started Public Opinion in 1937 to support this movement. It was closely linked to the People's National Party (PNP) and had many progressive journalists.
Public Opinion pushed for Jamaica to govern itself. However, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill did not want to give up the British Empire. When a new constitution for Jamaica was announced in 1944, it was not as strong as the nationalists hoped. One journalist, Roger Mais, wrote an article criticizing this. The British police raided the newspaper's offices, took Mais's writing, arrested him, and jailed him for six months.
Poland
The history of Polish journalism dates back to the 1400s. The first Polish newspaper was Merkuriusz Polski Ordynaryjny, published in 1661.
Russia
The history of Russian journalism began in the 1700s. Key features include low literacy rates, government censorship, and a strong focus on politics and propaganda in the media.
United Kingdom
Early British News (1500s-1600s)
By the late 1500s, the Italian word gazzetta (meaning "daily news") started to be used in England. John Florio's Italian-English dictionary from 1598 defined gazzette as "the daily newse or intelligence written from Italie." The word reporto (meaning "report") also came from Venice to England. So, a reportista (reporter) became someone who put together newsletters.
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On November 7, 1665, The London Gazette (first called The Oxford Gazette) began publishing twice a week. Other English papers soon started publishing three times a week, and then the first daily papers appeared. The government controlled publications, but when the laws were relaxed, many new newspapers started.
Mercurius Caledonius, started in Edinburgh in 1660, was Scotland's first newspaper, but it only lasted for 12 issues. Early British newspapers had short articles, temporary topics, some pictures, and classified ads. They were often written by many people, but the writers' names were usually kept secret.
British Journalism in the 1900s
By 1900, popular journalism in Britain was very successful. It aimed for the largest possible audience, including the working class, and made money through advertising. Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe (1865–1922) greatly shaped modern newspapers. He introduced or used ideas that are still important today: wide range of content, using ad money to keep prices low, strong marketing, and independence from political parties. His Daily Mail held the world record for daily sales until he died.
Socialist and labor newspapers also grew. In 1912, the Daily Herald was launched as the first daily newspaper for the trade union and labor movement.
Newspapers were most important during World War I. War news was very urgent, and politicians couldn't criticize the government much. By 1914, Northcliffe controlled a large part of the newspaper market in Britain. He tried to use this to gain political power.
United States
Journalism in the United States started small but became a powerful force in the fight for American independence. After independence, the U.S. Constitution guaranteed freedom of the press and freedom of speech. The American press grew quickly. It became a key support for political parties and religious groups.
During the 1800s, newspapers expanded beyond the cities in the Eastern United States. From the 1830s, "penny press" newspapers, which were cheap, played a big role. New technologies like the telegraph and faster printing presses in the 1840s helped newspapers spread across the growing nation.
By 1900, major newspapers were powerful and profitable. They featured strong opinions, investigative reporting (called muckraking), and exciting stories (sensationalism), along with serious, objective news. In the early 1900s, before television, many Americans read several newspapers a day.
Starting in the 1920s, technology changed American journalism again as radio and later television became very important. In the late 1900s, much of American journalism became part of big media companies. With the rise of digital journalism in the 2000s, newspapers faced financial challenges as readers and advertisers moved to the internet.
How We Study Journalism History
Historians who study journalism look at how it has changed over time. In the 1960s and 1970s, new scholars said that older histories of media were too focused on just the media itself. They felt these histories didn't look enough at the bigger picture of society, or they were too positive about how journalism developed.
One historian, James W. Carey, pointed out in 1974 that journalism history often told a story of steady progress. This story showed journalism slowly gaining freedom and knowledge, with some ups and downs, but always moving forward. It saw journalism as shaped by big forces like industrial growth, city growth, and democracy.
Images for kids
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Avviso from Rome dated December 4, 1700.
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Title page of the third volume of Vittorio Siri's Il Mercurio (1652).
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The London Gazette, May 14–17, 1705.
See also
- History of broadcasting
- History of newspaper publishing
- History of radio
- History of television
- News broadcasting
- Newspaper
- Online magazine
- Online newspaper
