The Gilded Age Press, 1865-1900

Download or read book The Gilded Age Press, 1865-1900 written by Ted C. Smythe and published by Bloomsbury Publishing USA. This book was released on 2003-08-30 with total page 254 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: American newspapers redefined journalism after the Civil War by breaking away from the editorial and financial control of the Democratic and Republican parties. Smythe chronicles the rise of the New Journalism, where pegging newspaper sales to market forces was the cost of editorial independence. Successful papers in post-bellum America thrived by catering to a mass audience, which increased their circulations and raised their advertising revenues. Still active politically, independent editors now sought to influence their readers' opinions themselves rather than serve as conduits for the party line.