02 Introduction to the History of Journalism – pre 1690

Lely Novia

5 Sept 202105:54

Summary

TLDRThis video explores the origins of journalism, tracing its roots to the Roman Empire's Acta Diurna and China's Dibao. It highlights the transformative impact of Johannes Gutenberg's printing press in 1454, which democratized news dissemination. Despite advancements, governments continued to censor and control the press, as seen with corantos in the 1620s and the Oxford Gazette in 1665. The video also touches on John Milton's advocacy for press freedom and the first newspaper in the Americas, Public Occurrences, which faced immediate censorship. The narrative sets the stage for the evolution of journalism from government control towards freedom of the press.

Takeaways

📜 The first instance of public news dissemination dates back to the Roman Empire around 130 BCE with the 'Acta Diurna', carved in stone and displayed in public places.
📰 In China, a similar practice of disseminating government news called 'Dibao' was used to inform local governors and the public about important events.
🔠 Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in 1454 revolutionized the way news was distributed by making text reproduction quicker and more accessible.
📖 The first book printed using the printing press was a Bible in 1455, marking a significant milestone in the history of printed media.
📜 Despite the technological advancements, governments continued to control and censor the content of newspapers to propagate their own narratives.
📰 The 'Corantos' of the 1620s in Europe were single-page newsletters that were censored by governments to prevent the spread of information they deemed unfavorable.
🗣️ John Milton's 'Areopagitica' in 1644 advocated for press freedom, emphasizing the importance of allowing people to report news without government interference.
📰 The 'Oxford Gazette', established in 1665, is recognized as the oldest newspaper printed in English and played a role in informing the public about significant events like the Great Fire of London.
🌴 'Public Occurrences', published in Boston in 1690, was the first newspaper in the Americas but was censored and only had one edition published.
🚫 Early journalism was characterized by government control and censorship of newspapers, limiting the information available to the public.
🔍 The script promises to explore the subsequent history of journalism and the steps towards a free press, independent of government control, in the next video.

Q & A

What was the first time people received news in a public format?
-The first time people received news in a public format was during the Roman Empire around 130 BCE with the 'Acta Diurna,' which were daily events carved into stone and displayed in public places.
What was the Chinese equivalent to the Roman 'Acta Diurna'?
-The Chinese equivalent to the Roman 'Acta Diurna' were 'dibao,' which were government reports sent to local governors who then shared some information with the local people.
Who was the inventor of the printing press, and in what year did he start using it?
-Johannes Gutenberg was the inventor of the printing press, and he started using it in 1454.
What significant book did Gutenberg print a year after he started using the printing press?
-Gutenberg printed a copy of the Bible a year after he started using the printing press, which was the first book printed in this manner.
How did the invention of the printing press change the way people received news?
-The invention of the printing press made it much quicker and cheaper to print texts, allowing almost anybody to do it, although governments still controlled what was written.
What were 'corantos' and how were they related to the early journalism in Europe?
-'Corantos' were single-page newsletters written in the 1620s in Europe, covering wars and other news, but they were censored by governments who wanted them to print only propaganda.
Who was John Milton, and what did he advocate for in his speech 'Areopagitica'?
-John Milton was a famous poet who, in his speech 'Areopagitica' published in 1644, called for the freedom of the press, advocating that people should be able to report the news without government interference.
What is the significance of the 'Oxford Gazette' in the history of English newspapers?
-The 'Oxford Gazette,' which began in 1665, is significant as it is the oldest newspaper printed in English, and many people learned about the Great Fire of London from it.
When was the first newspaper in the Americas published, and where was it published?
-The first newspaper in the Americas, 'Public Occurrences,' was published in Boston in 1690.
Why was the publication of 'Public Occurrences' in the Americas censored and resulted in only one edition?
-The publication of 'Public Occurrences' was censored immediately because the authorities did not like what was being printed, resulting in only one edition ever being published.
What was the general attitude of governments towards newspapers in the early history of journalism?
-In the early history of journalism, governments wanted to control the information that people received and censored newspapers when they did not like the content being printed.

Outlines

00:00

📰 Origins of Journalism and Early News Dissemination

This paragraph delves into the origins of journalism, tracing back to the Roman Empire around 130 BCE with the 'Acta Diurna', which were daily events inscribed on stone for public consumption. It highlights the Chinese government's use of 'dibao', government reports distributed to local governors and shared with the populace. The paragraph also discusses Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in 1454, which revolutionized news dissemination by making it quicker and more accessible. It touches on the early forms of censorship by governments in Europe during the 1620s through 'corantos', single-page newsletters, and John Milton's advocacy for press freedom in his 1644 speech 'Aeropagitica'. The paragraph concludes with the establishment of the 'Oxford Gazette' in 1665, the oldest English newspaper, and the censorship of the first newspaper in the Americas, 'Public Occurrences', published in 1690 in Boston.

05:00

🛡️ Government Control and the Fight for Press Freedom

The second paragraph focuses on the historical attempts by governments to control the information disseminated through newspapers, often through censorship. It sets the stage for the subsequent video, which will explore the evolution of the press towards becoming an independent entity, free from governmental control. The paragraph briefly mentions the continuation of the history of journalism post-1690, indicating a progression towards greater freedom of the press and the significance of this development in the field of journalism.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Journalism

Journalism is the activity of gathering, assessing, creating, and presenting news and information. It is central to the video's theme, which explores the historical development of how news was disseminated. The script discusses the origins of journalism in the Roman Empire and China, showing how it was initially a tool for governments to communicate with the public.

💡Acta Diurna

Acta Diurna refers to the daily events or news that were inscribed on stone in the Roman Empire around 130 BCE. This term is significant as it represents one of the earliest forms of public news dissemination, with information on births, deaths, marriages, and legal trials being made accessible to the public in marketplaces.

💡Dibao

Dibao, meaning 'government report' in Chinese, was a method used by the Chinese government to communicate with local governors and, subsequently, the local populace. It exemplifies the early use of journalism for official communication, paralleling the Roman Acta Diurna but with a focus on administrative rather than public news.

💡Johannes Gutenberg

Johannes Gutenberg was a German inventor who revolutionized the dissemination of news through his invention of the printing press in 1454. His contribution is pivotal to the video's narrative, as it marked a significant shift from hand-copying to mass production of texts, making news more accessible and affordable.

💡Printing Press

The printing press is a machine that allowed for the rapid production of multiple copies of a text. It is a key concept in the video as it enabled the mass distribution of news and is directly associated with Gutenberg's transformative impact on journalism and information sharing.

💡Corantos

Corantos were single-page newsletters written in the 1620s in Europe, often covering wars and other news. They illustrate the evolution of journalism into a more recognizable form but also highlight the ongoing struggle against government censorship, as they were often used to propagate state propaganda.

💡Censorship

Censorship is the suppression or prohibition of any parts of books, films, news, etc., that are considered obscene, politically unacceptable, or a threat to security. In the context of the video, censorship is depicted as a method used by governments to control the content of newspapers and prevent the spread of information they deemed unfavorable.

💡John Milton

John Milton was an English poet who advocated for freedom of the press in his 1644 speech 'Areopagitica.' His ideas are foundational to modern journalism principles and are highlighted in the video as a significant step towards the liberation of the press from government control.

💡Oxford Gazette

The Oxford Gazette, which began in 1665, is noted in the video as the oldest newspaper printed in English. It is an example of the continued development of journalism and the public's access to news, despite the challenges posed by censorship and government control.

💡Public Occurrences

Public Occurrences was the first newspaper published in the Americas, in Boston in 1690. Its brief existence due to censorship underscores the video's theme of the struggle for press freedom and the historical challenges faced in the establishment of an independent and free press.

💡Press Freedom

Press freedom is the concept that the press should have the right to report the news without censorship or restraint by the government. It is a central theme of the video, which discusses the historical progression from government-controlled news to the modern ideal of an independent press.

Highlights

The origin of journalism dates back to the Roman Empire with the Acta Diurna, carved into stone and displayed in public places.

In China, the government used 'dibao' to communicate with local governors and share information with the public.

Johannes Gutenberg's invention of the printing press in 1454 revolutionized the dissemination of news through mass-produced texts.

Gutenberg's first printed work was a Bible, marking a significant milestone in the history of printed media.

Governments initially controlled the content of newspapers, censoring information they deemed unfavorable.

Corantos, single-page newsletters, were written in the 1620s to report on wars and other news, but were heavily censored by governments.

John Milton's 'Areopagitica' advocated for press freedom, influencing modern journalism principles but not immediately changing government control.

The Oxford Gazette, established in 1665, is the oldest continuously printed newspaper in English.

The Great Fire of London was reported in the Oxford Gazette, demonstrating the newspaper's role in informing the public about significant events.

Public Occurrences, the first newspaper in the Americas, faced immediate censorship, resulting in only one published edition.

The early history of journalism was characterized by government control and censorship of newspapers.

The video promises to explore the steps towards a free press, independent of government control, in the subsequent episode.

The Acta Diurna and dibao exemplify early forms of public communication by governments to inform their citizens.

Gutenberg's printing press made printing texts quicker and more accessible, though governments continued to control the content.

Milton's 'Areopagitica' is a foundational text for press freedom, emphasizing the importance of unrestricted news reporting.

The Oxford Gazette's coverage of the Great Fire of London highlights the evolving role of newspapers in reporting current events.

The censorship of Public Occurrences in the Americas underscores the challenges faced by early newspapers in maintaining editorial independence.