The Americanization of the British Press, 1830s-1914: Speed in the Age of Transatlantic Journalism (Palgrave Studies in the History of the Media)

The first book to compare and contrast the rise of mass circulation press in Britain and America. It provides insights into the origins of tabloid journalism and explores a range of cross-cultural and literary issues, tracing the history of key newspapers and the careers of influential journalists such as Bennett, Russell, Harmsworth and Pulitzer. This is the first book to compare and contrast the history of journalism in Britain and America during the nineteenth and early twentieth century. It traces the emergence on both sides of the Atlantic of mass circulation newspapers with millions of readers and explores seminal cross-cultural and literary issues such as the impact of increased literacy and the evolution of a democratic culture. Key aspects of modern print journalism are explored, including sports and crime reporting, gossip columns, headlines, front-page news, comic strips, advertisements, the widespread use of pictures, human-interest stories, war reporting and the emergence of women in journalism. Above all, the impact of speed and technological innovation are considered, with primary emphasis on the telegraph, typewriter and telephone. Likewise, the histories of key transatlantic newspapers are analyzed, as are the careers of influential journalists and press barons such as James Gordon Bennett, Alfred Harmsworth, Joseph Pulitzer, W. T. Stead, T. P. O'Connor and William Randolph Hearst Cover 1 Title 4 Copyright 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Acknowledgements 9 List of Illustrations 10 Introduction 12 Chapter 1 The Fear of Americanization 21 Chapter 2 The Beginnings of Sensationalism 39 Chapter 3 The Democratization of News 65 Chapter 4 The Stimulus of War 91 Chapter 5 Expansion of the Press 113 Chapter 6 Gossip and Other Matters 140 Chapter 7 The New Journalism: Pulitzer and Stead 165 Chapter 8 A Mass Press: Hearst and Harmsworth 194 Chapter 9 The Modernization of Journalism 222 Selected Bibliography 246 Index 256 0230581862,9780230581869 Palgrave Macmillan, 2011 Introduction -- The Fear Of Americanization -- The Beginnings Of Sensationalism -- The Democratization Of News -- The Stimulus Of War -- Expansion Of The Press -- Gossip And Other Matters -- The New Journalism: Pulitzer And Stead -- A Mass Press: Hearst And Harmsworth -- The Modernization Of Journalism. Joel H. Wiener. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.