History of Print Media and Its Role in Society
Adrian Radomski
Dr. Cusumano
CMA 9
12/16/2012
The History of Print Media and its Role Among Business’, Government and Society In an age when innovation is constantly adding to how we define mass media, print media has seemed to maintain its role and presence in our society. In a basic and simplistic way, businessdictionary.com defines print media as “the industry associated with the printing and distribution of news through newspapers, magazines and books”. Collectively, books, magazines and newspapers are some of the oldest and most basic forms of mass communication. Each one of these sources individually play’s an important role in our daily lives by providing readers with news, entertainment and information. Additionally, cultural, social and political change in the U.S. can largely be attributed to print media and how the government and influential big business companies have used it in the past or are currently using it. In this essay, we will also trace the history of print media, its contemporary role in our society and what the future holds.
Throughout history, print media has withstood a long and rocky road of trials and tribulations to come to the point where it’s at today. Early American newspaper publishing began as the colonist’s anger over England’s attempts to control them grew intensely. Colonists found it to be an active vehicle in early progressive reform. Print media in the form of pamplets and newspapers was used to unite the colonies against the British and eventually lead to the revolution. It helped to bridge the gap between economic and political interests and enabled the birth of the American nation. By the early 19th century, newspapers had become the dominant force of mass media. The Commercial Press, Partisan Press and Penny Press made their rise as the top newspaper formats of their day. Commercial Press newspapers mostly reported on business dealings and trade. Partisan press on the other hand, fed the political
Dr. Cusumano
CMA 9
12/16/2012
The History of Print Media and its Role Among Business’, Government and Society In an age when innovation is constantly adding to how we define mass media, print media has seemed to maintain its role and presence in our society. In a basic and simplistic way, businessdictionary.com defines print media as “the industry associated with the printing and distribution of news through newspapers, magazines and books”. Collectively, books, magazines and newspapers are some of the oldest and most basic forms of mass communication. Each one of these sources individually play’s an important role in our daily lives by providing readers with news, entertainment and information. Additionally, cultural, social and political change in the U.S. can largely be attributed to print media and how the government and influential big business companies have used it in the past or are currently using it. In this essay, we will also trace the history of print media, its contemporary role in our society and what the future holds.
Throughout history, print media has withstood a long and rocky road of trials and tribulations to come to the point where it’s at today. Early American newspaper publishing began as the colonist’s anger over England’s attempts to control them grew intensely. Colonists found it to be an active vehicle in early progressive reform. Print media in the form of pamplets and newspapers was used to unite the colonies against the British and eventually lead to the revolution. It helped to bridge the gap between economic and political interests and enabled the birth of the American nation. By the early 19th century, newspapers had become the dominant force of mass media. The Commercial Press, Partisan Press and Penny Press made their rise as the top newspaper formats of their day. Commercial Press newspapers mostly reported on business dealings and trade. Partisan press on the other hand, fed the political