A Brief History Of The Media In The United States

With Pictures

The New Nation :1776 - 1865

• Early American political discourse stressed civil virtue and public, rather than private good. Those who argued for liberty of the press (free speech) did so not for individual expression, rather…

so that the community might hear and judge the merit of the views of others

Thomas Jefferson saw freedom of the press as a foundation of

popular democracy

• For example, Congress permitted newspapers to be mailed at a price below cost (subsidized). Because they were cheap, diversity flourished. The press was filled with partisan opinions on various topics.

The Gilded Age: 1866 - 1900

• Private control of the media grows with the invention of the telegraph

• Western Union forms a monopoly with this new communication technology

Western Union Creates…The Associated Press (AP)

• Originally the AP was a monopoly news service run in cooperation by the largest (and wealthiest) newspaper publishers in the country

• Their competitors could not use their wires. This put smaller publishers at a huge disadvantage

Now that News is Big Business…

• In order to not offend business clients, the AP favored the appearance of “objectivity” in the newspapers

• The idea of a “professional media” is born

• News begins to have a big business bias

As Newspaper Companies grow…

• They gobble up the competition

• Wealthy white guys (below) owned the papers, and their political views were most often reflected by their newspapers

Mr. Schooley Is An Axe Murderer!!!!

• In order to make even more profit, newspapers turned to sensationalism (see above)

• Many small newspapers could no longer compete. Some refused to use advertising to sustain themselves on moral grounds and went out of business

As the labor movement grew…

• Many newspapers became increasingly anti-labor

• Yellow journalism led to massive national criticism from muckrakers, labor organizations and politicians

The Rise of Broadcasting: 1920s to 1930s

• In its infancy, radio was a very new technology and it was not originally thought of as a profit making entity

How long did youthink THAT would last?

• NBC & CBS emerged in the 20s

• They realized radio’s profit making potential and created chains of stations all over the USA, supported by the sale of advertising: The “Commercial” is born

• This new media became very profitable.

Congress Passes The Communications Act of 1934

• Good News for Rich Guys: Act helped further deregulate and privatize broadcasting

• Good News for the Public: Act made clear that communication licenses were to be granted with the condition that the company receiving the license would serve the public interest

So what can we conclude from this?

• Public interest over pure profit was still the theory

Fairness Doctrine

• In the late 40s The FCC required that commercial broadcasters give ample time to matters of public importance and provide a range of viewpoints on controversial issues

• It also restricted the actual number of radio and TV stations that a single broadcasting company could own in order to prevent one company from gaining too much influence

The NEO-LIBERAL PERIOD:

However, this doctrine was not always enforced… and with the deregulation agenda of the Reagan Administration during the 1980s, the FCC dissolved the fairness doctrine. So we enter…

Neo-Liberal Means:

• Virtually a total free market

• Very few restrictions

• In other words, Big Media companies could gorge themselves on their weaker competitors

1996 Telecommunications Act:

• This Act lifted regulations and ownership restrictions from commercial media and communications companies

• Media Moguls rejoiced!

The aftermath of the signing of this bill:

• Cable rates rose 50% between 1996 & 2003

• Media no longer regulated in a manner that served the public good

• Seven major corporations now control about 90% of the market

•

What does it all mean?

What are the dangers?

Why should I care?

These questions will be explored in this

unit