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McGraw-Hill © 2007 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights res

THE

DYNAMICS

OF MASS

COMMUNCATION

Joseph R. Dominick

University of Georgia--Athens




Chapter 4

The Newspaper Industry

Cha

pt

erOutlin

e Newspaper History

Newspapers in the Digital Age

Newspaper Industry Organization

Newspaper Ownership

Producing the Newspaper Newspaper Economics

Getting Feedback





Newspaper History

• Journalism in Early America

– Few newspapers existed

– Publishers were printers andpostmasters

– Colonial authority – “no free press”




Newspaper History

• Early Papers

– Publick Occurrences both Foreign and

Domestick – Benjamin Harris (1690)

– Boston News Letter – John Campbell (1704)

– New England Courant – James Franklin

– Pennsylvania Gazette – Ben Franklin




Newspaper History

• The Beginnings of Revolution

– Zenger trial: independence of press

– Beginnings of political press

– Declaration of Independence

• Reprinted in Pennsylvania Evening Post July 6, 1776

• Official copies published by Mary Goddard

– Mary Goddard one of 30 women publishers




Newspaper History

• The Political Press: 1790 – 1833– Federalist debates discuss Freedom of the Press

and the Bill of Rights

– Newspapers spread rapidly; by 1820 there are: 24dailies; 66 semi- or tri-weeklies &

422 weeklies

– Minority papers grow concurrently• Freedom’s Journal (late 1820s)

• Cherokee Phoenix (1828) and Cherokee Advocate




Newspaper History

• Requirements for a mass press

Printing press capable of quick, cheap copies

1830: R. Hoe and Company’s steam-powered

press (4000/h) High level of literacy in population

1830s: first statewide public school system

Interested mass audienceDemocratization of business and politics




Newspaper History

• The Penny Press– Benjamin Day’s New York Sun (1833)

– Horace Greeley’s New York Tribune (1841)

– Henry Raymond’s New York Times (1851)

• Significance of Penny Press

– Economic support base – advertising

– Pattern of distribution – add street sales– Definition of news – popular sources, not elite

– News collection – freshness matters


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Newspaper History

• The Post Civil War Newspaper Giants

– Joseph Pulitzer – New York World (1883)• Accuracy Simplified writing

• More advertising space Sensationalism

• Crusading attitude

– E.W. Scripps – newspaper chains

• 18 papers by 1911 Industrial cities– William Randolph Hearst – inherited San

Francisco Examiner

– Yellow journalism



Newspaper History

• Early 20th Century– Consolidation

• Equipment expense

• Reader gravitation to largest paper • Rise of chains

– Jazz journalism

• Tabloids (1/2 size) with many photographs

• New York Daily News

• Subway- and bus-friendly



Newspaper History

• Great Depression of the 30’s

– Increased readership; decreased profits

– Radio becomes a competitor

• Post WWII

– Circulation increases: 48M (1945) to 62M (1970)

– 98% of American cities with no competitor

– Chains grow: 60 with 42% (1945) 157 with60% (1970)

– Media consolidation and competition for $$



Newspaper History

• Contemporary Developments

USA TODAY (1980)

• Splashy graphics Short, easy-to-read stories

• Graphs, charts, tables

Factoids– Last 15 years

Competition – radio, television, 24h cable news, Internet

Consolidation – FCC 2003 decision on same-market

ownership

Classifieds – Internet classifieds pulling away revenue

Credibility – Jayson Blair’s New York Times scandal in 2003



• Traditional vs. Online Newspapers

– Both gather, evaluate, organize information

– Traditional : distribution involves…

• Paper Ink PressesTrucksWorkers

– Online: digital transfer to computers andhandhelds





• Defining Features of a NewspaperDiverse content

Convenient packaging

Local coverage

Historical record

Watchdog role

Fresh news



• Advantages of Online Papers– No limits on story length or number of pictures– Continually, easily, and inexpensively updated

– Can be interactive– Can offer searchable archives

• Online Papers– USA Today

– Americus Times-Recorder (Georgia)– Newspaper Association of America’s Website– 148 of top 150 papers offer their news online





• Paid Access

– Initially, online presence = financial drain

– Wall Street Journal started subscription service

– Others charge for selected content

– Many require registration

• Digital editions: traditional format but

downloadable• Handhelds: wireless delivery to cell phones,

laptops, PDAs, and tablet PCs




• Print dailies (5x/week)

– Circulation is number of copies delivered

– National newspapers – content is national,

delivery by satellite to local printers– Large metropolitan dailies – being hit hard by

competition

– Suburban dailies – 40% of all circulation– Small town dailies – source of local information




• Print weeklies – steady circulation increase• Maintaining and recruiting readership

– More use of color

– Shorter stories, summary decks, sidebars– Diversifying content

• Special-service and Minority Newspapers

– African-American press declining– Spanish press growing rapidly

– College press strong



Newspaper Ownership

• Concentration of ownership

• Cities with competing papers

• Joint-Operating Agreements– Editorial staffs are separate and

competitive

– Circulation, advertising, production arecombined



Group Ownership Pros & Cons

• Pros:– Better coverage afield

– Better technology

– Better staff training

• Cons:

– Less diversity of opinion

– Absentee ownership– Profits valued above quality

– Tendency to avoid local controversy



Producing the Newspaper

• Departments

– Business – ad space and promotions

– Production – physical tasks required

– News-editorial – objective reporting and

opinions

• Editor : oversees and helps set editorial direction

• Managing Editor : day-to-day operations

• Department Editors:

Wire, Copy, City, Sports, Business



Producing the Newspaper

• Prepublication

– Two sources of copy

• Local reporting – stories assigned to reporters

• Wire services – wire editor selects from input

– Newshole: space in current edition usable

for news (printed version only)

– Reporters file stories electronically via

computer



Newspaper Economics

$ Sources of

Revenue

$ Advertising – 80%

$ Local retail

$ Classifieds

$ National

advertising

$ Prepaid inserts

$ Circulation – 20%



Newspaper Economics

$ General Expenses

$ News and editorial costs

$ Advertising overhead

$ Composition and plate production

$ Printing costs: newsprint (25% of all

costs), ink, running the printing press$ Circulation and distribution costs

$ General administrative costs



• Audit Bureau of Circulation

– Formed in 1914

– Certifies newspaper circulation figures

– Circulation determines advertising rates

– Audits over 3/4 of all U.S. and Canadian

print media (about 2,600 publications)– Travels 300,000 miles per year

Getting Feedback



Getting Feedback

Table 4-3 Daily and Weekly Newspaper Circulation




• Big employer: 445,000 in 2003• One of lowest-paying media industries

• Entry-level

– Reporter – small papers– Business – need business education

– Online – all sorts of administrative

• Upward mobility– Reporters editors

– Business: into management or out to national

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