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Tristan Smith
Mrs. McClain
Introduction to Journalism
11 September 2014
Journalism History: Importance and Necessary Aspects
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Growing up, many children had parents that read the newspaper. Even in countless

television shows or movies, every morning at the breakfast table the father sat, drinking his coffee and reading his newspaper. It’s not an uncommon sight--in fact, according to stateofthemedia.org, over 56 million papers are sold daily (“Audience”)—though few people are familiar with how newspapers began, the important events that occurred, or the inventions that were created that make them what they are today. Though there are many important factors to consider, the three most important aspects of the history of journalism include the Zenger Trial, the invention of the telegraph, and the introduction of photojournalism.
Primarily, the first essential component in the growth of journalism would be the Zenger
Trial. The trial was of John Peter Zenger, who was accused of libel in an article he had published.
At his time, however, published information was considered libel if it went against the government. Zenger was proven not guilty, and after the trial, newspaper publishers “felt freer to print their honest views” (“The Trial of John Peter Zenger”). This trial is important because it proved that citizens had a right to criticize the government, which is something newspapers still continue to do today. Without this, the public would not be able to see some truths behind actions taken by the government, and it should be every individual’s right to express their opinion on his government. Additionally, the trial helped to start a free press without libel, influencing the First

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Amendment of the United States (Linder). If this had not happened, many of the articles published today would not be allowed.
Though the trial was important, so was the telegraph, which was a device that started in the late 1700s. It used wires to send signals across long distances, enabling others to communicate. This invention was very important to journalism and news coverage for two main ways. First, it allowed for widespread communication (Grayson). This, in turn, allowed for foreign news to be transmitted to other parts of the world, and news coverage became much more global (“The Telegraph”). Second, it also granted the opportunity for more direct, less detailed information to be sent quickly through the wires (“Network Effects”). Rather than news being spread by mail, it could be sent electronically, which gave the public more up-to-date news. Like the telegraph, photojournalism was also very important to the history of journalism and newspapers. Initially, it showed the readers what was actually occurring at the time, instead of pictorial drawings by artists which could easily be edited (“Pictorial Journalism”). Without the editing, people at the time never really had a sense of what was actually going on until photographs began to be printed. This became especially important during the Civil War.
Photojournalism “enhanced the image of political figures” and it also “allowed families to have a keepsake representation” of their family regarding the wars (Niiler). Clearly, photojournalism has had a large impact on society.
In conclusion, the occurrence of the Zenger Trial along with the inventions of the telegraph and photojournalism have played a major role in what newspapers are today.
Journalists would not have been able to freely express opinions on the government, and

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Additionally, the introduction of photos gave readers a sense of what was actually going on at the scene, which was especially important during the wars. Without these vital facets, the never ending world of current events would be drastically different today.


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Works Cited
"Audience." State of the News Media 2014. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2014.
Grayson, Lee. "How Did the Invention of the Telegraph Affect Journalism?" The Classroom.
Demand Media, n.d. Web. 11 Sept. 2014.
Linder, Doug. "Account of Zenger Trial." Account of Zenger Trial. N.p., 2001. Web. 11 Sept.
2014.
"Network Effects." The Economist. The Economist Newspaper, 19 Dec. 2009. Web. 11 Sept.
2014.
Niiler, Eric. "How Civil War Photography Changed War : DNews." DNews. Discovery, 27 Nov.
2012. Web. 11 Sept. 2014.
"Portfolio 2: Pictorial Journalism." (Prints and Photographs: An Illustrated Guide). N.p., n.d.
Web. 11 Sept. 2014.
"The Telegraph." University of Minnesota Libraries. Web. 11 Sept. 2014.
"The Trial of John Peter Zenger." Ushistory.org. Independence Hall Association, n.d. Web. 11
Sept. 2014.