Gilded Age Newspaper Research

Newspaper is a kind of old-line medium format. Before the advent of electron medium, For example, broadcast, television,etc. It is the most important approach of transferring news. The prosperity of newspaper has intimate affinity with the characteristic of Gilded age. The industrialisation brought with not only technique innovation and social transform, but also compliant medium system to spread knowledge, message, news and public opinion. The Gilded age is like fertile soil to American modern newspapering, at the same time, the development of newspapering promote greatly the advancement of the industrial society.Because of the timely effect of newspapering, in review of the traits of a certain period, we can better understand the status quo of economy, politics, ideology, culture, etc. America is a most developed country of newspapering, the Gilded age is an important period that occured deep social change: a transfermation from farming civilization to industrial civilization, from liberty capitalism to monopoly capitalism. Industrialization and urbanization are the obvious characterictic of this period. At the same time, it was the Gilded age that gestate many social problem: different trends of thoughts, and commonality movement, a period of embarrassment is difficult to avoid. On the course from discomfort to comfort, disorder to order, newspapering plays a significant role. As an offset of culture industry, newspapering melts into the onrush of social transition, which is not only a eyewitness of the Gilded age, but also a maker. The progess of newspapering helps to a positive social change, which extend all through politics, economy, culture, education, science and technology. The reason is rapid intercourse of news, knowledge and public opinion, each person enriches himself in spirit, and communicate each other sufficenltly, which makes a splendid view of the Gilded age.Analyze the evolution, trait, infuence of newspapering is very meaningful for us. It is a new perspective to understand American society, which will strength the knowledge of American modernization, also, it helps to better comprehend the interior structure of modern industrial society.From colonial times to early 19th century, American newspaper was in its infant period. Being an important medium form, newspaper acted as a instrument of propagandizing political opinion, engaging political battle. The content give priority to agitprop, and readers are super classes of society. News collecting, newspaper printing, issuing and other management tache are all in the control of political party. The newspapering itself has no self-determination, also, it bears no responsibility. Demand of political battle will bring up a certain social group's interest on political information, but it will not possess of permanently and comprehensively market. Thebroad requirement about news and information can but be with modem society and market economy. The maturity of newspapering market was formed in the Gilded age.The industrial revolution of the Gilded age promote social productivity greatly, which also provide unprecedented material condition. The immense change in Printing, papermaking, communication, traffic offer stable foundation for popularization of newspapering, for example, steam-driven rotary press can press 4,000 double pages an hour, which makes steady and massive publishing possible. Urbanization is another key term for the progess of newspapering, which provide potential reader, advertisement and news material. Before the Gilded age, newspaper is a kind of luxury for ordernary people. The average week wage was about 4-5 u.s. dollar, while a piece of daily newspaper costs 6 cent, which account for 1/10 of day earing. How to break through this bottle neck?how to make the public offer a newspaper?this is the practical problem for newspaper proprietor. The market of the Gilded age provide opportunity: reduce selling price greatly, attract reader firmly, increase advertising massively. The evolution of industrialization work ou...