Communications Trace the history of the printed newspaper and various types of eras in reporting news

The newspaper has undergone a number of changes relating not only to content but also to its distribution. While much of the material found in the newspapers of the present moment consists of nationally syndicated columns and a tendency toward objective analysis, newspapers were not always this way. This paper charts the history of the printed newspaper in the United States, from the early colonial newspapers of the pre-Revolutionary War era through their current state.

In the colonial period, newspapers were far more provincial than they are today; different colonies had their own newspapers, and these were instrumental in shaping public opinion on topical issues. Benjamin Franklin realized that the best way to make money through newspapers was through advertisements. They also advertised books, which was influential in making popular thought more secular. In this period, newspapers were more literary than they are today.

In the...

During the 1800s, newspapers became affiliated with political parties, and in the mid-19th century, the Associated Press was formed. Around this time, a preference for objectivity began to develop; as Schudson notes, the United States was the first country that promoted objective journalism. Toward the end of the 19th century, muckraking, a form of journalism that exposed corruption, became popular. During the 20th century, less objective trends developed, including: yellow journalism, a sensationalist style of reporting; the penny press, which were cheap, tabloid papers that only cost one penny; and jazz journalism, which followed yellow journalism and consisted of pictures and offered little writing. Chains and syndications were enacted by 1960. In the 1970s, circulation declined and readership fell, a trend that has continued through the present moment.
History of Radio Broadcasting

The history of radio broadcasting is rich…