Nowadays, there is a wide range of different newspapers, and most people see them as an important part of their everyday life. But newspapers as we know them today have only come into existence about three-hundred and fifty years ago. And although the liberty of the press at least in the countries of the European Union is today highly appraised, this has not always been the case. For a long time newspapers were a thorn in the flesh of governments, which thought that printed oppositional opinions threatened them. Therefore the governments tried to control newspapers tightly by enacting consequential laws. For years politics thus determined the development of newspapers.
This term paper wants to deal with the influence of the English government on the development of newspapers between 1660 and 1855. This relates to London newspapers, if not stated otherwise. Also, the term newspaper is used for the printed product, the company or the owner, resp., and the journalists, if not stated otherwise. The term is also used for news printed before 1670, even though the term itself only occured in the English language during that year.
After explaining prerequisites that were necessary for the emergence of modern newspapers in the first place, I will shortly look at the formation of newspapers before 1660, before I have a close look at laws established by the English government between 1662 and 1843. Then, I am going to compare selected parameters concerning the development of newspapers in different centuries. In the practical part I will analyse eight issues of The Times. I therefore chose the first January issues of a year, published with a time lag of ten years in each case.
In this term paper I want to analyse how the English government influenced the development of newspapers, which consequences this influence had, and how these again showed up in the newspapers themselves. Several things were necessary for the development of modern newspapers. About 3,500 BC the Sumerians developed writing. Only through writing disciplines like education, literature, and science, as well as trade and commerce could emerge or take place in a broader sphere. While the Sumerians wrote on, or rather carved clay tablets, the Egyptians used papyrus reeds from around 2,200 BC onwards. Compared to other materials like clay, stone and wood, papyrus had the great advantage to write something spontaneously and fast, and to be transported easily because of its light weight.
Table of Contents
1. INTRODUCTION
2. PREREQUISITES
3. NEWSPAPERS BEFORE 1662
4. POLITICAL ACTS CONCERNING NEWSPAPERS
4.1 Licensing acts
4.2 Tax laws
4.3 Libel acts
4.4 Summary
5. COMPARISON OF SELECTED PARAMETERS
6. THE LONDON TIMES
6.1 History
6.2 Comparison of chosen The Times issues
6.2.1 Issue of the 1 January, 1785
6.2.2 Issue of the 1 January, 1795
6.2.3 Issue of the 1 January, 1805
6.2.4 Issue of the 2 January, 1815
6.2.5 Issue of the 1 January, 1825
6.2.6 Issue of the 1 January, 1835
6.2.7 Issue of the 1 January, 1845
6.2.8 Issue of the 1 January, 1855
6.3 Summary
7. CONCLUSION
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Research Objectives and Themes
This paper examines the influence of English government regulations on the evolution of newspapers between 1660 and 1855. It specifically investigates how legal frameworks, including licensing, taxation, and libel laws, directly affected the structure, content, and economic viability of the press, with a detailed longitudinal analysis of The Times.
- The historical impact of the Printing Act and various Stamp Acts on newspaper development.
- The relationship between government censorship and the evolution of the modern broadsheet format.
- Longitudinal analysis of The Times through selected January issues from 1785 to 1855.
- External stimuli—such as technological advancements in logistics and printing—as drivers for press growth.
- Shifting reporting priorities, moving from purely political news toward entertainment and global correspondence.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 Tax laws
After the failed attempts of the licensing acts to keep up a system of licensing a new strategy was developed. From 1712 onwards several Stamp Acts were introduced. The first of those acts included “several Duties upon all Soap and Paper made in Great Britain, or imported into the same; [...] and Stuffs, printed, painted, or stained; and upon several Kinds of stamped Vellum, Parchment, and Paper; and upon certain printed Papers, Pamphlets, and Advertisements”20. By this law newspapers were taxed because they were special consumer goods, but not essential for survival. From then on all pamphlets and newspapers carrying news had to be printed on stamped paper. The tax amount depended on the amount and the size of pages. Brochures consisting of one sheet were taxed one penny, and of half a sheet half a penny. When they were made of more than one and a half sheet, they were defined as pamphlet, and were taxed at 2 sterling per sheet. On the other hand here publishers only had to pay the tax for one copy. Edification literature wasn’t taxed because it belonged to everyday life consumer goods.21 Because of the increased taxes publishers raised the retail price of newspapers. They also increased the charges for advertisements. Some newspapers even went out of business immediately after the law had been passed, and because of the higher price the sales declined enormously. Still, one loophole was found: Newspapers were often published as a pamphlet to avoid high taxing.22 This also lead to an expanded range of topics because more pages than before had to be filled. As there was a lack of news for all the pages, the newspapers published more geographical and historical background information, essays, genre pictures, explanations, comments, and counter-arguments.23
Chapter Summaries
1. INTRODUCTION: Outlines the scope of the study regarding the English government's influence on newspapers and introduces the analytical method using The Times.
2. PREREQUISITES: Discusses the foundational technological and logistical developments, such as the invention of paper, the printing press, and improved postal systems, necessary for newspaper growth.
3. NEWSPAPERS BEFORE 1662: Provides a brief historical overview of early news dissemination, from ancient notices to the emergence of early news-sheets in Venice and the first English news-books.
4. POLITICAL ACTS CONCERNING NEWSPAPERS: Analyzes the three pillars of government control: Licensing acts, Tax laws, and Libel acts, and how they shaped the press environment.
5. COMPARISON OF SELECTED PARAMETERS: Examines external factors—such as wars and technological progress—that influenced newspaper circulation, pricing, and content variety over different centuries.
6. THE LONDON TIMES: Investigates the history and development of The Times through a detailed comparison of eight specific annual issues between 1785 and 1855.
7. CONCLUSION: Synthesizes findings on how government interference inadvertently fostered the development of the modern broadsheet format and the commercial press.
8. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Lists the primary and secondary sources used for the analysis.
Keywords
Newspaper history, English government, Printing Act, Stamp Acts, Libel Acts, Press censorship, The Times, Journalism development, Broadside, Media history, 17th Century, 18th Century, 19th Century, Press freedom, Media regulation.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the interplay between the English government and the newspaper industry between 1660 and 1855, specifically analyzing how legislative acts shaped the development and survival of the press.
What are the primary thematic areas covered?
The study covers the history of media regulation, the evolution of print technology and logistics, the economics of newspaper pricing, and the qualitative changes in newspaper content over time.
What is the central research question?
The research seeks to determine how government-enacted laws influenced the development of newspapers, the consequences of this influence, and how these effects manifested within the newspapers themselves.
Which scientific methodology does the author employ?
The author uses a historical and comparative approach, primarily analyzing eight issues of The Times (first January editions with a ten-year interval) to track physical and thematic changes in the publication.
What is discussed in the main body of the work?
The main body details the historical legislative framework (licensing, taxes, and libel acts), compares key metrics like page size and circulation, and provides a case study of The Times.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include newspaper history, press censorship, Stamp Acts, The Times, media development, and political influence on journalism.
How did the tax laws specifically impact the physical format of newspapers?
Tax laws encouraged newspapers to grow in page size to circumvent specific tax brackets, which ironically led to the development of the modern broadsheet format as publishers sought to maximize content per sheet.
What role did The Times play in the transition of newspaper content?
The Times evolved from a predominantly political news sheet into a diverse publication that incorporated foreign correspondence, sensationalism, and specialized commercial information, reflecting broader shifts in 19th-century society.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Jana Groh (Autor:in), 2008, The influence of politics on the development of newspapers between 1660 and 1855, at the example of "The Times", München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/90965
