While watching the EOTOs, the presentations that caught my attention focused on early journalism and included fun facts, from Joseph Pulitzer and the coining of yellow journalism to the Penny Press.
It was also (slightly) because of these two that the Spanish War started. In January 1898, the battleship USS Maine was sent to Havana, Cuba, to watch over American interests during the Cuban uprising against Spain. An explosion on the Maine caused it to sink in the harbor. Although the exact cause of the explosion was unknown, newspapers were blaming Spain. Evidence was misreported and even fabricated.
I learned that during the Penny Press Era, news was accessible to everyone, not just the wealthy. Before the Penny Press, newspapers were expensive—costing around six cents—and were primarily read by the elite. But during this era, the papers cost only one cent!
This era also shifted the content to appeal to a broader audience. Instead of focusing solely on politics and business, which interested the wealthy, these papers included human-interest stories, crime reports, and local news.
Though I already learned about William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass during Lee and I's presentation, I enjoyed hearing about their newspapers in more depth.
The Liberator, founded by William Lloyd Garrison in 1831, was such a bold and uncompromising voice against slavery. During the presentations, I learned his motto: “I will be as harsh as truth, and as uncompromising as justice,” and it really captures the spirit of his work.
Frederick Douglass’s The North Star was equally remarkable. I loved learning about how Douglass used his newspaper not only to advocate for the abolition of slavery but also to promote equality and justice for all people, including women. His motto, “Right is of no sex—Truth is of no color—God is the Father of us all, and all we are brethren,” was truly powerful to hear, especially in a time as polarized and frightening as now.
No comments:
Post a Comment