A "Brief" History of Journalism - Part 3

Changes in ownership affecting how information and opinions is communicated to various publics and their communities

Changes in ownership had affected the way information was communicated to the public by decreasing the availability of multiple viewpoints. The consolidation of newspapers caused people to criticize the practice for fear of standardization of the news (Sloan 304). The public responded to these changes by the rejection of monopolies. The Federal Trade Commission passed an act in 1914 that stated that any efforts to restrain competition was unlawful (Sloan 304). The public’s ability to communicate to the broader society about these important issues resulted in laws being passed that prevented complete domination by certain companies while also promoting competition.

Changes in financing had affected the way information was communicated to the public by decreasing the influence advertisers had upon publishers. Advertisers had previously played an important role in a newspaper’s ability to gain profit. Sloan writes, “By 1879 nearly 54% of all newspaper income was derived by ads” (210). This changed with growth of advertising after the revolution in retail (Sloan 210). The newspapers and their values soon were no longer impacted by advertisers. Advertisers and their demands toward publishers were discounted as newspaper no longer had to rely heavily on their financial support (Sloan 210-211). The public responded to these changes by being able to trust news companies more without worrying about a hidden agenda. The public’s ability to communicate to the broader society about misleading advertisements lead to the change in advertising (Sloan 285). Newspapers refused to display ads that were untruthful or had harmful claims. The public had previously criticized the industry for advertising false claims about products; however, with the change in financing for newspapers, advertisers had little influence over the print media which made the public perceive the newspaper in a more positive light.

Changes in technology affected the way information was communicated to the public through innovation and changes in business standards (Sloan 237). Through the advancement of technology newspapers were able to produce more newspapers more quickly (Sloan 238). The invention of spot ink which allowed for color and linotype which made producing text faster, lead to the spread of print media (Sloan 238). The public responded to these changes and increased availability by purchasing the papers for a decreased price due to the productivity of the press. The public’s ability to communicate to the broader society changed due to the technological advancement in the printing industry.

Newspapers were more readily available and cheaper to purchase thus more people were able to buy the daily newspaper and discuss important events. Changes in journalistic values affected the way information was communicated to the public by increasing credibility through objectivity (Sloan 314). The objectivity of newspapers caused people to have faith that journalists were producing truthful, unbiased writing (Sloan 314). The public and their response to these changes were optimistic as they were hoping for independent news without influence. Though some were optimistic others still thought that it was unlikely that journalists could provide trustworthy sources and information (Sloan 314). The public’s ability to communicate to the broader society about trusting the news was able to influence the way people perceived the press. The public was able to inform others about which news outlets they deemed reliable which influence other’s opinions about the companies. Credibility became an important factor in which news outlets people sought out for their information.