Mass Communication History
Penny Paper
The penny papers were the pioneers of the modern day newspapers. They started in the early nineteenth century mainly in the big cities like New York. They were very popular with the public because of their low price, which was actually a penny for one paper; hence, the name penny press. This came up because the cities were now becoming densely populated and the increasing masses needed sources of information.
Unlike the modern newspaper, the newspaper was very cheap which means that it was affordable to the masses (The Penny Press, n.d.). Modern newspapers cost up to two dollars from Monday to Friday and doubles to five dollars on the weekends. This penny paper barely costs a penny. Even after the inflation levels are put into consideration, the modern newspaper is still high on cost with respect to the penny paper.
The reporting is similar because modern newspapers mostly contain political and business news taking up most of the space. This is probably because this is what usually influences the city occupants the most. The penny paper in consideration is also similar to the modern paper in that it also contains news concerning the politics of the time and a few pages dedicated to the business news. This could be probably because the business sector was not as advanced as it is today. The stock exchange was not as advanced nor were the means and tools of trade.
The major difference is that the modern newspaper is more informative because it contains news regarding the entire world. This is because the communication sector is more advanced in technology and news can travel around the world in real time. This is made possible by the use of the internet and the satellites. The penny paper in consideration is only filled with local news that has usually happened in and around the city. The news from far of places and even overseas areas are very sketchy and given very little space.
Impacts of the Telegraph
The telegraph brought about great impact in the way man lived. It affected the society because of the way information was now being communicated fast and efficiently. The education curriculum had to be changed to accommodate the teaching of this new technology to students. New factories and industries had to be set up to cater for the manufacture and maintenance of this new technology. In the process, there was the creation of new job opportunities for the staff to operate and work in these factories and industries (Casale, 2011).
This also led to the creation and expansion of existing towns. Most of the population that lived in the countryside had to relocate to the towns to take on the newfound job opportunities. The telegraph also indirectly financed other businesses such as the transport industry, housing and many more. As the technology developed, the government had to step in to managing the sector by regulating the frequencies being used and the transmission. The telegraph also had ethical implications on the society (Casale, 2011).
Through it, corrupt businesspersons could now practice insider trading with ease. Some farmers could have prior information regarding the performance of certain crops and thus enabled to engage in unethical practices like hoarding their crops to maximize their profits. Some governments used to broadcast their propaganda through the airwaves thereby misleading the masses during wars. The government also used to jam the airwaves to spread their propaganda during the elections. The telegraph enhanced communication between ships at sail with the outside world. It was also used in warfare, which gave the side that utilized the facility to have an upper hand over their opponents. This ended up in influencing warfare in a major way. The warring parties however, had to fly kites to serve as antennas as there was not enough time to set up masts.
References
Casale, J. (2011). Telegraph history. Retrieved from
http://www.telegraph-history.org/
The Penny Press (n.d.). Extra, Extra, Read all about it! Retrieved from
http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/spring04/vance/pennypress.html
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