British Newspaper Development –
From the 17th century to the age of globalization

by: Kerstin Mickenbecker

Table of contents

I. Introduction

II. The early newspaper development (17th – 19th century)

II.1. The radical press and the Stamp Act
II.2. Changes in the Economic Organization of the Press: Commercialisation, industrialisation, and press ownership

II.2.1. The rise of advertising
II.2.2. Industrialisation
II.2.3. Press barons

III. The 20th century

III.1. The Popular Press and War

IV. The 21st century

IV.1. Competition and globalisation

V. Conclusion

VI. “The Press” by Rudyard Kipling

VII. References

I. Introduction

The Pope may launch his Interdict,
The Union its decree,
But the bubble is blown and the bubble is pricked
By Us and such as We.
Remember the battle and stand aside
While Thrones and Powers confess
That King over all the children of pride
Is the Press - the Press - the Press !
(last verse of “The Press” by Rudyard Kipling, 1865 - 1936)

Rudyard Kipling’s poem “The Press” exemplifies very clearly the dominant role of the press in the late 19th century. From this, we can conclude that not only the role of the press is a much discussed and disputed topic today but that it was also in the past. It gives us also a hint that “lessons” of media history are essential in order to get an understanding of its structures, content, and influence. Present-day media arrangements are not natural and unavoidable. A study of media history makes us also aware of alternatives, i.e., how media could have been or can be arranged. In this essay, I will portray the history of the newspaper development from the 17th century until the 21st century. My aim is to point up how the structures, methods of news gathering and diffusion via the mass medium newspaper have evolved by giving a brief overview over the important stages in the development process. Since this medium boasts such a vivid history, and, as mentioned before, media history is an important chapter to learn about, I want to focus upon the earlier periods of newspaper publishing. Constraints of space do not allow to elaborate on the current debates about media issues. The essay is addressed to students of media studies and should be regarded as a basis reading before exploring further fields of media studies.

II. The early newspaper development (17th – 19th century)

Newspapers had existed long before the press developed as a mass medium. The earliest predecessors of the modern newspaper appeared soon after the invention of the printing press. These news sheets were called “corantoes” and published in the 17th century. They contained short news items for a given period. The “London Gazette” was the first English newspaper, published for the first time in 1665. In the early 18th century, the circulation of daily newspapers started off. However, none of these publications had a wide circulation and their significance and influence was substantially less than commonly believed. With the emergence of the radical press, the newspaper publishing became more attention, especially from official side.

II.1. The radical press and the Stamp Act

The first wave of radical papers from the 1790s through to the late 1820s caused furore as they played an important role in the general political reorientation. They helped articulating the demands and aspirations of the working classes as well as helping the development of class consciousness. Radical newspapers aimed at making the press a forum for mobilising parliamentary reform and strong opposition towards the government. The Poor Man’s Guardian, one of the most famous radical newspaper stated on its masthead: “published in Defiance of the Law to try the Power of Right against Might”. Most of the radical newspapers were associated with political and industrial organisations of the emerging working classes. Working people should be made aware of their exploitation by producing knowledge “which makes them more dissatisfied and makes them worse slaves” (O’Brien, quoted in “The Mass Media and Power in Modern Britain”).

Following the growth of radical trade unions and political movement, the circulation of the radical press increased steadily. The leading publications developed a nationwide circulation and thus it helped to reduce geographical isolation by showing that local agitation conformed to a common pattern throughout the country. Radical papers became the link that bound the industrious classes together. The government took steps to curb the radical press, as it became more and more a means of spreading radical and revolutionary sentiments that might undermine established authorities. The government came to rely increasingly on the newspaper stamp duty and taxes on paper and advertisements, commonly known as “taxes on knowledge”. The Stamp Act of 1712 provided that a newspaper proprietor had to pay one penny per sheet printed and one shilling for every advertisement inserted. The belief was, that it was potentially dangerous to social order to allow the lower ranks to read newspapers at all. Newspaper prices soared beyond the reach of the vast majority of the British people. Between 1789 and 1815, the stamp duty was increased by 266 per cent. However, the “taxes on knowledge” were challenged by some radical newspapers, who refused to pay the stamp. The government, fearful of the threat posed to the social and political order, reacted with vigorous prosecution of the law and many radical publishers and printers were fined or even had to flee the country. However, these measures failed to crush the sales of radical papers. The government had to look for other means by which they could combat the radical press.

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