Newspapers in the United States

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Newspapers have been published in the United States since the 18th century [1] and are an integral part of the culture of the United States. Although a few newspapers including The New York Times , USA Today , and The Wall Street Journal are sold throughout the United States, most U.S. newspapers are published for city or regional markets. The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post are often referred to as the United States' "newspaper of record". [2]

Contents

History

The history of American newspapers dates back to the early 18th century, when the first colonial newspapers were published. In the beginning, newspapers were a sideline for printers, but they eventually became a political force and played a role in the campaign for American independence. The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteed freedom of the press, and the Postal Service Act of 1792 provided subsidies for the delivery of newspapers. During the First Party System (1790s-1810s), both parties sponsored papers to reach their loyal supporters. In the 1830s, the Penny press began to play a major role in American journalism, and technological advancements such as the telegraph and faster printing presses helped to expand the press of the nation. In the early 20th century, newspapers were profitable and influential, but with the rise of television in the 1920s, the role of newspapers began to shift. In the late 20th century, many American journalism outlets became part of big media chains, and the rise of digital journalism in the 21st century has caused a business crisis for newspapers, as readers and advertisers shift to the Internet.

Demographics

Metropolitan newspapers survive in all major metropolitan regions, with some regions having multiple papers, though this has declined in modern times. Many smaller cities have had local newspapers, again, this having declined over time.

There have also been many African-American newspapers, foreign-language papers, and other specialized newspapers. As of 2023 there were 24 newspapers published in prisons. [3]

Archives

Many libraries provide microfilm archives of major U.S. newspapers.[ citation needed ]

Ownership

Ownership of newspapers in the United States includes smaller independent family owned groups like Mullen Newspaper Company, Adams Publishing, Wick Communications, and others, as well as large publicly owned media conglomerates like Gannett Company, The McClatchy Company, Lee Enterprises, and others, which combined publish a large percentage of the nation's papers.

Publication

Most general-purpose newspapers are either printed daily or weekly. They are in part advertising-driven, including classified advertisements, but also receive income from newsstand sales and subscriptions.

Major cities usually have alternative weeklies (New York City's Village Voice or Los Angeles' L.A. Weekly , for example), which rely entirely on advertising, and are free to the public. A newspaper meeting particular standards of circulation, including having a subscription or mailing list, is designated as a newspaper of record. With this designation, official notices may be published, such as fictitious business name announcements. [4]

The number of daily newspapers in the United States has declined over the past half-century, according to Editor & Publisher , the trade journal of American newspapers. In particular, the number of evening newspapers has fallen by 50% since 1970, while morning editions and Sunday editions have grown. [5]

For comparison, in 1950, there were 1,772 daily papers (and 1,450, or about 70%, of them were evening papers) while in 2000, there were 1,480 daily papers (and 766—or about half—of them were evening papers. [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the occupation, the methods of gathering information, and the organizing literary styles.

<i>The Philadelphia Inquirer</i> American daily newspaper founded in 1829

The Philadelphia Inquirer, often referred to simply as The Inquirer, is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, The Philadelphia Inquirer is the third-longest continuously operating daily newspaper in the nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mass media in the United States</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Print circulation</span> Number of printed copies of a publication

Print circulation is the average number of copies of a publication. The number of copies of a non-periodical publication are usually called print run. Circulation is not always the same as copies sold, often called paid circulation, since some issues are distributed without cost to the reader. Readership figures are usually higher than circulation figures because of the assumption that a typical copy is read by more than one person.

<i>Hartford Courant</i> Daily newspaper in Connecticut, US

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<i>The Mercury News</i> Daily newspaper published in California

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<i>Courier Journal</i> American daily newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky

The Courier Journal, also known as the Louisville Courier Journal, and called The Courier-Journal between November 8, 1868, and October 29, 2017, is a daily newspaper published in Louisville, Kentucky and owned by Gannett, which bills it as "Part of the USA Today Network".

<i>Dayton Daily News</i> Newspaper in Dayton, Ohio

The Dayton Daily News (DDN) is a daily newspaper published in Dayton, Ohio. It is owned by Cox Enterprises, Inc., a privately held global conglomerate headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, with approximately 55,000 employees and $21 billion in total revenue. Its major operating subsidiaries are Cox Communications, Cox Automotive, and Ohio Newspapers.

The Missoulian is a daily newspaper printed in Missoula, Montana, United States. The newspaper has been owned by Lee Enterprises since 1959. The Missoulian is the largest published newspaper in Western Montana, and is distributed throughout the city of Missoula, and most of Western Montana.

A weekly newspaper is a general-news or current affairs publication that is issued once or twice a week in a wide variety broadsheet, magazine, and digital formats. Similarly, a biweekly newspaper is published once every two weeks. Weekly newspapers tend to have smaller circulations than daily newspapers, and often cover smaller territories, such as one or more smaller towns, a rural county, or a few neighborhoods in a large city. Frequently, weeklies cover local news and engage in community journalism.

<i>The Post and Courier</i> Newspaper in Charleston, SC

The Post and Courier is the main daily newspaper in Charleston, South Carolina. It traces its ancestry to three newspapers, the Charleston Courier, founded in 1803, the Charleston Daily News, founded 1865, and The Evening Post, founded 1894. Through the Courier, it brands itself as the oldest daily newspaper in the South and one of the oldest continuously operating newspapers in the United States. It is the flagship newspaper of Evening Post Industries, which in turn is owned by the Manigault family of Charleston, descendants of Peter Manigault.

<i>Austin American-Statesman</i> Daily broadsheet newspaper published in Austin, Texas

The Austin American-Statesman is the major daily newspaper for Austin, the capital city of the U.S. state of Texas. It is owned by Gannett.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of American newspapers</span> Aspect of history

The history of American newspapers begins in the early 18th century with the publication of the first colonial newspapers. American newspapers began as modest affairs—a sideline for printers. They became a political force in the campaign for American independence. Following independence the first amendment to U.S. Constitution guaranteed freedom of the press. The Postal Service Act of 1792 provided substantial subsidies: Newspapers were delivered up to 100 miles for a penny and beyond for 1.5 cents, when first class postage ranged from six cents to a quarter.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of American journalism</span>

Journalism in the United States began humbly and became a political force in the campaign for American independence. Following independence, the first amendment to the U.S. Constitution guaranteed freedom of the press and freedom of speech. The American press grew rapidly following the American Revolution. The press became a key support element to the country's political parties, but also for organized religious institutions.

The St. Louis Globe-Democrat was a daily print newspaper based in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1852 until 1986. The paper began operations on July 1, 1852, as The Daily Missouri Democrat, changing its name to The Missouri Democrat in 1868, then to The St. Louis Democrat in 1873. It merged with the St. Louis Globe to form the St. Louis Globe-Democrat in 1875.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Decline of newspapers</span> Decline of newspaper sales

The decline of newspapers is an example and means of which to understand and observe the changing values of a culture. Whether newspapers are declining in popularity is region dependent. Data supports that in the U.S and Europe popularity and sales are wavering. In these regions, industry is facing slumping ad sales, the loss of much classified advertising, and precipitous drops in circulation. The U.S. saw the loss of an average of two newspapers per week between late 2019 and May 2022, leaving an estimated 70 million people in places that are already news deserts and areas that are in high risk of becoming so. Prior to that steep decline, newspapers' weekday circulation had fallen 7% and Sunday circulation 4% in the United States, their greatest declines since 2010. If the trend continues, a third of newspapers will be lost by 2025, according to a 2022 study published by Northwestern University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newspaper</span> Scheduled publication containing news of events, articles, features, editorials, and advertisements

A newspaper is a periodical publication containing written information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as politics, business, sports, art, and science. They often include materials such as opinion columns, weather forecasts, reviews of local services, obituaries, birth notices, crosswords, editorial cartoons, comic strips, and advice columns.

<i>Boston Evening Traveller</i> Massachusetts daily newspaper (1845–1967)

The Boston Evening Traveller (1845–1967) was a newspaper published in Boston, Massachusetts. It was a daily newspaper, with weekly and semi-weekly editions under a variety of Traveller titles. It was absorbed by the Boston Herald in 1912, and ceased publication in 1967.

<i>New York Evening Express</i> American newspaper

The New York Evening Express (1836–1881) was a 19th-century American newspaper published in New York City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew J. Aikens</span> American newspaper publisher and editor

Andrew Jackson Aikens, Sr. was an American newspaper publisher and editor who was associated for more than half a century with The Evening Wisconsin, a daily newspaper published in the city of Milwaukee.

References

  1. Alterman, Eric. "Out of Print". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2021-02-04.
  2. Mazur, Allan, 2006. "Risk Perception and News Coverage Across Nations". Risk Management, Vol. 8, No. 3, July 2006, p. 152.
  3. Tameez, Hanaa' (2023-03-14). "The Prison Newspaper Directory finds that the number of prison-based papers is growing". Nieman Lab. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  4. "What is the Legal Definition of Newspaper?". Archived from the original on 2012-03-31. Retrieved 2012-05-26.
  5. Editor & Publisher International Yearbook as cited at naa.org, Newspaper Association of America website
  6. Editor & Publisher International Yearbook as cited on naa.org, Newspaper Association of America website