American Journalism

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American Journalism

• 0456748001

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The British Tradition

• News was ordered according to Gods perfect
  plan.
• News was
• Meaningful
• Social
• Public
• Reportorial empiricism

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Empiricism

• The doctrine that all knowledge is derived from
  sense experience.
• Undue reliance upon experience, as in medicine
  quackery

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Rationalism

• The principle or habit of accepting reason as the
  supreme authority in matters of opinion, belief,
  or conduct.
• The doctrine that reason alone is a source of
  knowledge and is independent of experience.
• (in the philosophies of Descartes, Spinoza, etc.)
  the doctrine that all knowledge is expressible in
  self-evident propositions or their consequences.

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More rationalism

• In theology, the doctrine that human reason,
  unaided by divine revelation, is an adequate or
  the sole guide to all attainable religious truth.
• A design movement principally of the mid-19th
  century that emphasized the development of modern
  ornament integrated with structure and the
  decorative use of materials and textures rather
  than as added adornment.

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Reportorial empiricism

• The role of the writer not to conduct systemic
  empirical research.
• Rather to report the empirical statements of
  others.
• Empiricism without science.
• It was journalism.

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Principles of reportorial empiricism

• Does not require verification.
• But does not have to accept expert
  observations just adds them to the pile.
• Defiance of authority came from this belief.
• Created greater participation in public life.

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Early newspapers

• Mostly gossip.
• Very slow. It could take 6 weeks to cross the
  Atlantic, depending on route.
• First postal system in the colonies came in 1682.
  It was private.
• By 1693, colonies got into it officially.
• 1701 first newspaper by John Campbell.

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Early newspapers

• Controlled by elites.
• Information linked to trade routes.
• Concept of a correspondent created.
• Governors of colonies controlled all presses.

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Gov. William Berkeley of Va.

• Thanked God there were no uncontrollable presses
  (or free schools) in his colony.
• For learning has brought disobedience and
  heresy, and sects into the world, and printing
  has divulged them, and libels against best
  governments. God keep us from both.

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Gov. William Berkeley

• Aka The Control Freak
• I love a free press as long as its mine.

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Tide of freedom

• Originated in the assemblies (colony
  legislatures).
• By 1721, licensing ended. In 1729, the
  Massachusetts assembly refused to grant the
  governor permission to institute licensing.

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Printing in the colonies

• First printers were artisans.
• Printers learned by apprenticeship.
• Seven years, could not marry.
• Then a journeyman.
• Women, though barred from the system, learned
  printing from their fathers and husbands.
• By 1770s, 14 women printers were active in the
  colonies.

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Newspapers credited with reducing strife

• Papers were center of economic, social and
  political life.
• Multiple newspapers. Scores in Boston in 1700s.
• Pamphlets.

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John Campbell

• Postmaster of Boston.
• Wanted a Historical account
• Boston News-Letter
• First paper 6.25 inches by 10.5 inches.
• Pictured is Rep. John Campbells friend.

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Not John Campbell

• Naomi Campbell
• She met Hugo Chavez, so she counts as a
  journalist.

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More Campbell

• Bought a press in 1704.
• Avoided confrontation with the government by
  obtaining approval of news before publishing it.
  Whats that called?
• Each issue had the statement Published by
  authority.

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Campbell didnt make any money.

• Asked the government for subsidies turned down.
• Put a comma in the wrong place in a story,
  apologized.
• Got competition in 1719.

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New England Courant

• James Franklin, not a postmaster.
• Non-official.
• Full of fun stuff jokes, shipping news.
• Attacked the Congregational clergy.
• Opposed inoculation for smallpox.
• Franklin went to jail for seditious libel.

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Next time

• Defiance
• Freedom
• Ben Franklin and the outrageous concept of
  printing both sides of an issue.