Introduction to Journalism
History of Journalism (UNIT I)
History of Journalism before printing
● In the olden days, news was carried by word of mouth. Kings and noblemen
spread news through messengers, ‘town criers’ and proclamations read out in
public places. Wandering minstrels or ‘correspondents’ moved between royal
courts, delivering news about wars won or lost, gossip, etc.
● In ancient history, messages were hand-delivered using a variety of methods,
including runners, homing pigeons and riders on horseback.
● 2400 BC- Postal service, courier
● The earliest known journalistic product was a newsheet called Acta Diurna
which circulated in ancient Rome in 59 Bc. It was published daily and it was hung
throughout the city for all who could read about social and political events.
● The T’ang dynasty in China from 618 AD issued a court report called Bao to keep
court officials updated. It continued in various forms till 1911, the fall of Qing
Dynasty.
● Wall posters called Notizie Scritte meaning written notices appeared in Venice,
Italy in 1566. People had to pay a coin called gazzetta to read it.
● However, the first indication of a regular news publication can be traced to
Germany, 1609, and the initial paper published in the English language (albeit
"old English") was the newspaper known as the Weekly Newes from 1622. The
Daily Courant, however, first appearing in 1702, was the first daily paper for
public consumption.
● Single event news publications were printed in the broadsheet format, which was
often posted. These publications also appeared as pamphlets and small booklets
(for longer narratives, often written in a letter format), often containing woodcut
illustrations.
● Early publications played into the development of what would today be
recognized as the newspaper, which came about around 1601. Around the 15th
and 16th centuries, in England and France, long news accounts called "relations"
were published; in Spain they were called "relaciones".
Advent of Printing and its importance
● Paper was first made by the Chinese in the early second century AD. It reached
Europe only in 16th century
● Art of printing- Chinese- in 868 AD- Wang Chieh printed book from blocks. First
known movable types- Pi cheng- 1045 AD-Oldest printed scripture-Diamond
Sutra.
● 15th century- Johannes Gutenberg- movable cast metal type printing press in
Mainz-Printed Bible-180 copies.
, 2
● Newsbooks- 1513- small, contained one but very important news event. In 1621,
prototype of modern newspaper in london- coranto.
● 1641- Diurnals- weekly account of occurrences.
Renaissance and Reformation
● The printing press was one of the most significant inventions of the Middle Ages.
it enabled the fast flow of information and encouraged the spread of new ideas
● In the Middle Ages, books had been costly and education rare; only the clergy had
been regular readers and owners of books. Most books had been written in Latin,
considered the language of scholarship. In the Renaissance, the educated middle
classes, who could now afford books, demanded works in their own languages.
● Books also helped to spread awareness of a new philosophy that emerged when
Renaissance scholars known as humanists returned to the works of ancient
writers.
● The Protestant movement- Bible in latin, mass in latin- people did not understand-
Martin Luther translated and printed out bible in vernacular languages- rapid
growth of printing culture- spread ideas of protestantism, reformation and
humanism faster.
Scientific Revolution
● The printing press was also a factor in the establishment of a community of
scientists who could easily communicate their discoveries through the
establishment of widely disseminated scholarly journals, helping to bring on the
scientific revolution
● From the end of the renaissance to the 18th century.
● The publication in 1543 of Nicolaus Copernicus's De revolutionibus orbium
coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres) is often cited as marking
the beginning of the Scientific Revolution.
● Nicolaus Copernicus- Heliocentric theory- church was strict and was against his
theory- he was scared to publish book- published on his deathbed
● Galileo Galilei- Italian-improved telescope- observations that proved heliocentric
theory- 1633 - Church forced Galileo to recant; placed him under house arrest-but
works published
● Andreas Vesalius studied human cadavers, a practice forbidden by church
doctrine. His writing The Structure of the Human Body (De Humani Corporis
Fabrica) in 1543 renewed and modernized the study of the human body.
● Isaac Newton- ‘Principia Mathematica’ (1687) includes Newton's Law of Gravity,
an incredibly groundbreaking study. Newton's work destroyed the old notion of
an Earth-centred universe.
● The most important figures in this change of thinking were Rene Descartes and
Francis Bacon.
● The philosopher Descartes presented the notion of deductive reasoning - that is, to
start with a premise and to then discard evidence that doesn't support the premise.
However, Sir Francis Bacon introduced a new method of thought. He suggested
that instead of using deductive reasoning, people should use inductive reasoning -
History of Journalism (UNIT I)
History of Journalism before printing
● In the olden days, news was carried by word of mouth. Kings and noblemen
spread news through messengers, ‘town criers’ and proclamations read out in
public places. Wandering minstrels or ‘correspondents’ moved between royal
courts, delivering news about wars won or lost, gossip, etc.
● In ancient history, messages were hand-delivered using a variety of methods,
including runners, homing pigeons and riders on horseback.
● 2400 BC- Postal service, courier
● The earliest known journalistic product was a newsheet called Acta Diurna
which circulated in ancient Rome in 59 Bc. It was published daily and it was hung
throughout the city for all who could read about social and political events.
● The T’ang dynasty in China from 618 AD issued a court report called Bao to keep
court officials updated. It continued in various forms till 1911, the fall of Qing
Dynasty.
● Wall posters called Notizie Scritte meaning written notices appeared in Venice,
Italy in 1566. People had to pay a coin called gazzetta to read it.
● However, the first indication of a regular news publication can be traced to
Germany, 1609, and the initial paper published in the English language (albeit
"old English") was the newspaper known as the Weekly Newes from 1622. The
Daily Courant, however, first appearing in 1702, was the first daily paper for
public consumption.
● Single event news publications were printed in the broadsheet format, which was
often posted. These publications also appeared as pamphlets and small booklets
(for longer narratives, often written in a letter format), often containing woodcut
illustrations.
● Early publications played into the development of what would today be
recognized as the newspaper, which came about around 1601. Around the 15th
and 16th centuries, in England and France, long news accounts called "relations"
were published; in Spain they were called "relaciones".
Advent of Printing and its importance
● Paper was first made by the Chinese in the early second century AD. It reached
Europe only in 16th century
● Art of printing- Chinese- in 868 AD- Wang Chieh printed book from blocks. First
known movable types- Pi cheng- 1045 AD-Oldest printed scripture-Diamond
Sutra.
● 15th century- Johannes Gutenberg- movable cast metal type printing press in
Mainz-Printed Bible-180 copies.
, 2
● Newsbooks- 1513- small, contained one but very important news event. In 1621,
prototype of modern newspaper in london- coranto.
● 1641- Diurnals- weekly account of occurrences.
Renaissance and Reformation
● The printing press was one of the most significant inventions of the Middle Ages.
it enabled the fast flow of information and encouraged the spread of new ideas
● In the Middle Ages, books had been costly and education rare; only the clergy had
been regular readers and owners of books. Most books had been written in Latin,
considered the language of scholarship. In the Renaissance, the educated middle
classes, who could now afford books, demanded works in their own languages.
● Books also helped to spread awareness of a new philosophy that emerged when
Renaissance scholars known as humanists returned to the works of ancient
writers.
● The Protestant movement- Bible in latin, mass in latin- people did not understand-
Martin Luther translated and printed out bible in vernacular languages- rapid
growth of printing culture- spread ideas of protestantism, reformation and
humanism faster.
Scientific Revolution
● The printing press was also a factor in the establishment of a community of
scientists who could easily communicate their discoveries through the
establishment of widely disseminated scholarly journals, helping to bring on the
scientific revolution
● From the end of the renaissance to the 18th century.
● The publication in 1543 of Nicolaus Copernicus's De revolutionibus orbium
coelestium (On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres) is often cited as marking
the beginning of the Scientific Revolution.
● Nicolaus Copernicus- Heliocentric theory- church was strict and was against his
theory- he was scared to publish book- published on his deathbed
● Galileo Galilei- Italian-improved telescope- observations that proved heliocentric
theory- 1633 - Church forced Galileo to recant; placed him under house arrest-but
works published
● Andreas Vesalius studied human cadavers, a practice forbidden by church
doctrine. His writing The Structure of the Human Body (De Humani Corporis
Fabrica) in 1543 renewed and modernized the study of the human body.
● Isaac Newton- ‘Principia Mathematica’ (1687) includes Newton's Law of Gravity,
an incredibly groundbreaking study. Newton's work destroyed the old notion of
an Earth-centred universe.
● The most important figures in this change of thinking were Rene Descartes and
Francis Bacon.
● The philosopher Descartes presented the notion of deductive reasoning - that is, to
start with a premise and to then discard evidence that doesn't support the premise.
However, Sir Francis Bacon introduced a new method of thought. He suggested
that instead of using deductive reasoning, people should use inductive reasoning -
