Communications Print Media Quiz – Flashcards
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Newspaper
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A geographically limited medium issued regularly from a press on unbound paper containing news, commentary, features, photos, and advertising to serve the general interests of a specific community or audience
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5 Departments of Most Newspapers
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News/editorial Advertising Production Circulation Administration
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Acta Diurna
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Roman newspaper Daily, handwritten gazette launched by Julius Caesar, 59 BC Reported newsworthy events, private and official notices
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Ti Pao
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China's early version of the newspaper Provided news to gov't officials and intellectual elite
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3 Forerunners to modern American newspaper
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Tracts, Corantos, Diurnals
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Tracts
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Pamphlets dist. by English printers containing topical news
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Corantos
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Single sheet tracts dealing w/ current/ foreign affairs (common by 1621)
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Diurnals
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4 page bulletins of local news (1640's)
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Publick Occurrences, both Foreign and Domestick
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Banned by authorities after premiere issue Suppressed under 1662 ordinance that prohibited printing without a license
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Prior Restraint
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Strategy of licensing that effectively prevented "dangerous" ideas from being printed
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The Boston Newsletter
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Issued in 1704 by postmaster John Campbell America's 1st continuing newspaper Published with support of colonial gov't
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Boston Gazette
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Published in 1719 by Boston postmaster William Brooker "published by authority" Contents similar to "Boston Newsletter" (trite/ boring)
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The New England Courant
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Published in 1721 by James Franklin Differed from predecessors in content and lack of proper license Franklin arrested/ prohibited from publishing
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Early American Newspapers (7)
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Publick Occurrences, both Foreign and Domestick The Boston Newsletter Boston Gazette The New England Courant The New York Gazette The Pennsylvania Gazette The New York Weekly Journal
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Challenges of Early newspapers
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Struggle for freedom of the press without prior restraint Quest to allow truth of statements as a defense for libel
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Pre-Revolution
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Newspapers became imp't sources of news and vehicles for advertising Opinions and viewpoints became more prevalent in published articles as disenchantment w/ British rule spread
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Pre-Revolution Persuasion, Propaganda, Public relations
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"The Crisis Papers" - Thomas Paine "The Federalist Papers" - Alexander Hamilton
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Press as political party advocate
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Political factions paid subsidies to newspapers to act as their mouthpieces Editors defined themselves as either Federalist or Republican
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End of partisan press period
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1860 Congress est. a gov't printing office The days of giving lucrative gov't printing contracts to private print shops ended
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The Sun
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1st true mass-circulation newspaper Started by Benjamin Day in 1833
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Era of the Penny Press
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Cost per unit of newspapers declined due to shifting of production costs to advertisers This reasonable price made "The Sun" the most successful newspaper in the country.
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Era of the personal editors
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1840-1870 Bridge btwn old and new press Editors pursued principle of popular appeal Began methodical organization of press into major social institution
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Yellow Journalism
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Editors invented incidents and headlines to go with them Facts played relatively small role - excessive sensationalism Consequence of circulation wars Newspapers became big business
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Explosion of non-news content in newspapers
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1890's and 1900's Comic strips, advice columns, puzzles, features, weekly columns
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Muckrakers
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Crusading journalists who focused their attention on major problems caused by rapid industrialization and urbanization Investigated businesses Exposed political and social ills
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Newspapers since 1900
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More temperate press "The New York Times" Launched by Adolph Ochs in 1896 Motto "all the news that's fit to print"
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Jazz journalism
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1920's and 30's Represented renewed appeal of sensationalism
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The New York Daily News
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1919 Smaller tabloid format provided easier reading for subway riders Largest circulation in the U.S.
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Books
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The most credible form of print media Durability Association with formal education Preserve thoughts, culture, legends of history Leisure
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Papyrus Rolls
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Earliest known rolls containing writing Egyptian mummy cases 3500 BC Contained writing called hieratic Made use of pictures
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First Known Alphabet
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1400 BC Phonecian alphabet Writing system derived from speech rather than pictures/ symbols
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Wooden Block Printing
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Tang Dynasty (617-906 AD) Diamond Sutra (mid 9th c.) - 1st printed book still in existence
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Writing materials
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Clay tablets Animal skins Parchment Linen Wood-pulp paper
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Codex
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End of 3rd c. AD Replaced papyrus/ parchment scrolls Roman method of book binding Used cords to tie sheets of papyrus/ parchment between wooden boards Greater ease of reading Made indexes possible
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Johann Gutenberg
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1430's Invented workable press that used movable type European innovation (no one knew of earlier Asian inventions) 1456 Gutenberg printed "Mazarin Bible", 1st book produced w/ movable type
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1st Printing Press in England
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1476 William Caxton
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Social Change
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Spread of printing ripened conditions for social changes (new opinions), esp. those affecting established religious institutions
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The Cambridge Press
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1st printing press in America Est. at Harvard 1638 Issued limited # of books
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Colonial period
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Only literate upper class could afford books Most books costly (printed in Europe) Wealth/ status measured by # of leather-bound books one possessed Low literacy rates (10% by 1800) Cost of a book approx. 1 week's wages ($1)
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19th Century
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Compulsory education led to higher literacy rates Industrial improvements lowered cost of books due to large scale production Steam-powered presses Mechanical typesetting machines
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Age of Books
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By the mid 19th c., inexpensive paperback editions available for 10 cents a copy Books became popular mass medium
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Publishing Houses
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Significant forces during late 19th c. By 1900, literacy rates had reached 90% Books, newspapers, magazines Free public libraries allowed access for all
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Publishing-goes-public Era
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Period since 1945 Independent companies sold stock in themselves to individual investors Led to mergers/ conglomerates Causes Competition among publishing houses Mass demand for works of fiction Commercialization of literature Printing and marketing practices streamlined w/ big business
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Publishing divisions (4)
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Trade books Books sold via bookstores general consumer Textbooks Published for students Professional/ scholarly books Post grad specialists Paperbacks Mass-marketed titles sold in bookstores/ at news stands
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Characteristics of early magazines
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Magazines filled gap btwn books/ newspapers Mix of entertainment, culture, and commentary Middle ground - many books and newspapers reached political and philosophical extremes prior to 20th c. Appealed to specific groups - advertising/ content geared to certain demographics (farmers, women, professionals)
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1st publications classified as magazines (2)
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"The Tatler" "The Spectator" Both published in England early 18th c.
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1st U.S. magazines
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Philadelphia 1741 Published by Benjamin Franklin and his rival, Andrew Bradford
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Early magazines (3)
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"The Port Folio" 1815 "The North American Review" 1815 "The Saturday Evening Post" 1821
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Godey's Lady's Book
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1830 1st magazine to cater specifically to women 1st medium to identify an audience of its own
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Other 19th c. magazines (4)
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"Harper's New Monthly Magazine" "Atlantic Monthly" "Gleason's Pictorial" "Harper's Weekly"
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"The Nation"
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Est. at the close of the Civil War in 1865 Became preeminent as a journal of opinion
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The Golden Age 1865-1900
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Transcontinental RR opened channels of distribution 1879 Postal Act classified magazines within 2nd class, cheaper distribution rate Pulp paper made from cheaper wood Improvements in printing presses Invention of linotype (automatic typesetting) machine Photographic reproduction techniques
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1865-1885 # of magazines increases significantly; industry giants energy (3)
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Industry "giants": "Harper's" "Scribner's Monthly" "The Century"
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Frank A. Munsey
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Achieved vast circulation increases by imitating techniques used by penny newspapers in the 1830's (shifting expenses to advertisers) Reduced annual subscription price of "Munsey's Magazine" from $3 to $1, and dropped price of single issue from $.25 to $.10
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Other magazines that followed Frank Munsey's lead
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"Ladies' Home Journal", "McCall's", "Cosmopolitan", "Collier's: Shifted expenses to advertisers Joined competition for national advertisers
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Characteristics of modern magazines
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Low cost Large circulation Support from advertisers Service to diverse audiences
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Magazines' impact on culture
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Instrument of social reform Became known as"people's champions" by investigating and exposing corruption and injustices in political, social, and business arenas Criticized by some for focusing on negative elements of society
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End of muckraking era
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Brought on by U.S. entrance in WWI Magazines joined newspapers in promoting war effort with propaganda U.S. concern with war abroad eclipsed domestic problems
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1930's to 1950's with Magazines
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Magazines became more attractive to audiences Improvements in production processes Bolder graphics Higher quality paper Emphasis on photojournalism
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Magazine "giants"
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"Reader's Digest" "Time" "The New Yorker" "The American Mercury" "The Saturday Review of Literature"
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Prominent business magazines
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"Fortune" "Business Week" Founded in 1929 Both survived Great Depression and flourished
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Magazine characteristics made famous during this period
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Cover girl Color photos of suggestive models Competitive edge - bait for both male and female readers (men wanted them, women wanted to be them) "Life" "Look" "Esquire" - 1st of the "slick" mens's magazines
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Television's impact on magazines
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1956, magazines began to go under due to lack of advertisers Costs of TV advertising comparable to magazine advertising; TV audience much larger TV offered dynamic ad presentations Action, sound, and color (by 1960's)
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Subscription war
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Early 1950's to 1960's Added to economic strain from advertising losses Magazines made an effort to reduce circulation in order to save money
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Regional editions
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"The Wall Street Journal" Began publishing in 4 regions as well as nationally Editorial content identical but advertising varied by region Advertisers able to reach particular regions at lower cost
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Success of regional editions
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Regional editions proved to be highly successful for specifically oriented journals "Time", "Newsweek") Regional editions permitted advertisers and manufacturers to reach customers whose interest in news/ world affairs indicated high education level/ affluence (valuable to advertisers) Product differentiation ingenious dvlpmt in advertising - could be done in magazines but not on TV
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Most significant change in magazine industry
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Due to competition from TV Shift from national magazines of general interest ("Life", "Look") to more specialized publications Most magazines today appeal to specific audiences in specific locales
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The editorial task
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From a production standpoint, magazines fall in between books and newspapers Each issue prepared 4-6 months in advance of publication Some articles written by staff, others contracted - balance of 2 techniques w/ edge toward staff writing b/c it is more reliable and cheaper Magazine editors try to maintain a consistent tone - a proven format of material that will appeal to the magazine's specific readership
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Gatekeeping function
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Editor decides what gets printed Dictated by rigid requirements of specific audience
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Types of magazines
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Entertainment/ escape "Cosmopolitan" "Esquire" News/ information "Time" "Newsweek" "U.S. News and World Report" Advocacy/ opinion Underground press Organizational/ corporate press Watchdog publications (i.e. "The Progressive")
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Top money makers (4)
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"Reader's Digest" "National Geographic" "Time" "People"
