First Outline for Term Paper

This outline has been constructed off of mostly secondary sources because I’m waiting for my subscription from the Times newspaper to come in.

Thesis: The Times newspaper in London challenged government ideas, as seen in the debate over the Peterloo Massacre, and revolutionized the journalistic world with its use of the steam-powered printing machine, deeply affecting the development of journalism in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.




OR


The Times newspaper in London challenged government ideas, as seen in the debate over the Peterloo Massacre, and revolutionized the journalistic world with its uses of the steam-powered printing machine, while The Illustrated London News brought the element of art to newspapers, both deeply affecting the development of journalism in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Definitions:

Steam-powered printing machine (printing press): a machine which uses steam power to print text or pictures from type or plates

Journalism:

-          Modern: “the activity or profession of writing for newspapers or magazines or of broadcasting news on     radio or television” (Oxford English Dictionary)

-          Historical: a profession or activity in which authors wrote about social gatherings and local entertainment, and focused less on news aspects except when confronted with a major event

Other terms to later be defined: romanticism, liberalism, Jacobinism, sister paper, the press, logography, chartist

Types of Sources:

Primary Sources: So far the primary sources I am using consist of pieces of papers I mention from Google Books, the Times archive, Google Images, and other newspaper archives.

Secondary Sources: I have found a website which outlines publishers of the 18^th and 19^th centuries which is very helpful for my paper. Other secondary sources include scholarly essays by professors about the history of journalism.

Outline:

1.      Background on journalism before the 18^th century

a.       Before the 18^th century, newspapers were not really newspapers, they were more like magazines and pamphlets

b.      The term press came into existence around the 1700s. But the press still was not like it is today. The press did not really consist of reporters and journalists; it was more like a group of authors who wanted to inform the people. Newspapers were still a social outlet for the most part.

c.       There were very few daily newspapers; there were not even that many weekly newspapers.

d.      The printing press by Gutenberg allowed for faster printing but that did not bring about the newspaper right away.

e.       Pamphlets were more popular than a large newspaper

f.       The first newspapers were only about a page or two long

2.      Very little news actually went into the first newspapers

a.       Since most newspapers were not daily, authors did not tend to write about small news events that were happening.

b.      However, major events like the Lisbon earthquake in 1755 was put in newspapers throughout Europe.

                                                              i.      It was a major event so newspapers spent weeks talking about this event and even put out special issues to discuss the topic.

3.      The majority of newspapers in the 18^th century were controlled by the government.

a.       Most governments had some control over the major newspapers in their area.

b.      Napoleon went as far as stopping almost all newspapers in France while he was in control

c.       There went from about 70 newspapers to 12 newspapers

4.      Beginning of the Times newspaper

a.       Started by John Walter in 1785

b.      The paper started off as a daily advertising sheet called The Daily Register

c.       There were 8 other daily newspapers in London at the time

d.      John Walter was mostly interested in advertising at first and therefore said, “The Register, in its politics, will be of no party. Due attention should be paid to the interests of trade, which are so greatly promoted by advertisements."

e.       The Times also wrote about parliamentary reports and foreign news

f.       In 1788, the Times started to have stories about the latest gossip and scandals of famous people in London

g.      John struck a deal with the government to make it look favorable in his paper

5.      John Walter II

a.       John Walter the II was the next owner who really took the Times to the next level

b.      He purchased a Koenig printing machine, the steam-powered printing machine, which allowed for faster and more efficient printing of the paper. About 7,000 copies of the paper were being sold a day

c.       Hired Thomas Barnes as editor in chief

d.      Walter stepped out of his comfort zone and published articles going against the government for the first time. The event that made the Times change their ways: The Peterloo Massacre.

e.       Walter and Barnes even went on to criticize papers who later supported the government

6.      The Morning Chronicle

a.       Started in 1769

b.      Originally a strictly social newspaper

c.       Discussed only topics of opinion and latest scandals

d.      Major competition of the Times

e.       Heard about the deal John Walter struck with the government to say favorable things about the government in the paper

                                                              i.      The Times sold better than the Morning Chronicle during this period

                                                            ii.      The Chronicle started saying favorable things about the government in its paper and gained support from the government

f.       John Walter II and Thomas Barnes began to criticize the Morning Chronicle and its overly excessive support to the Whigs party which had bought control of the Morning Chronicle in 1834

g.      Followed early example of the Times by showing support for the government

7.      The Manchester Guardian daily newspaper

a.       Founded in 1821

b.      In competition with the Times

c.       The Times had more followers then the Guardian

d.      Guardian began to publish stories in support of government reform and liberty for the people; sales went up

8.      The Northern Star (a Chartist newspaper)

a.       Founded in 1837

b.      Supported the chartist movement in England

c.       The Times had begun reporting on the Chartist movement and had been in full support of it; not long after this paper arose

d.      It lasted only during the time of the Chartist movement in England

e.       I was inspired by the freeness which the authors for the Times wrote

9.      The Illustrated London News

a.       Founded in 1842

b.      The Times was considered a very serious publication that addressed the issues of the current times

c.       This inspired Herbert Ingram, one of the founders of The Illustrated London News, to start a paper which ran pictures and drawings in every issue

d.      Ingram wanted to start a less serious publication since most of the papers of this time period had taken after the Times and became serious

10.  The Daily Telegraph

a.       Founded by Colonel Arthur B. Sleigh in June 1855

b.      The paper was advertised as “the largest, best, and cheapest newspaper in the world”

c.       It directly competed with the Times and still competes with the Times today