Geography and Newspaper Publication

By the middle of the eighteenth century, newspapers were well established in much of Europe and in the thirteen colonies. The fact that the First Amendment specifically guarantees freedom of the press testifies to the importance of newspapers in the culture of colonial and postcolonial America. At that time, however, newspapers often reported news that was out of date.

Local events could be reported as they took place, but foreign events could not be communicated until newspaper editors had become aware of them. American newspapers reported events in Europe several months after they had actually occurred. The Battle of New Orleans, in fact, was fought after Britain and the United States had signed a treaty in Paris ending hostilities in the War of 1812. Neither Andrew Jackson nor his British opponents knew before the battle was fought that the war was actually over.

The invention of the telegraph expedited the collection and diffusion of news by newspapers. The telegraph enabled messages to be sent across long distances. By the end of the Civil War, telegraph wires had been laid in cables under the Atlantic Ocean, enabling the rapid transmission of news stories and other events from the United States to Europe and vice versa.

During this period, national and international wire services were established in order to coordinate long-distance news transmission. Organizations such as The Associated Press, United Press International, and Reuters were organized at this time. These organizations made it easier for local newspaper editors to quickly communicate events taking place at distant locations.

The number of newspapers published reached its peak in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In 1900 most metropolitan areas in the United States and Europe supported several daily newspapers. During the twentieth century, the newspaper industry became increasingly centralized, and now only a minority of American cities boast more than one major newspaper.

Several factors underlie the decline in the number of newspapers. Readership has declined because radio and television allow for more rapid transmission of information. Thus, larger and larger populations are needed to support profitable newspaper enterprises. Also, improvements in transportation have facilitated the circulation of newspapers over longer distances.

Smaller, less profitable papers found themselves unable to compete with more successful rivals. Finally, newspapers came to rely increasingly on wire services and syndicated features, such as comic strips and opinion columns. Increasing reliance on syndication made it more difficult for a struggling newspaper to carve out a specific clientele on a geographic, economic, or cultural basis.

Current Trends in the Geography of Newspaper Circulation. Today, newspapers originating in major cities are circulated over wide areas. The Chicago Tribune is availableover a wide area of the Middle West as far south asArkansas and as far west as Nebraska and the Dakotas.Likewise, the Atlanta Journal and Constitution are onsale at stores throughout Georgia and in much of Florida,Alabama, and the Carolinas. Newspapers originating insmaller, less influential cities have more restricted circulation areas as depicted in Figure 1-10.

Two other significant trends can be identified with respect to contemporary newspapers. First, newspapers originating in suburban areas have become more prominent in recent years, reflecting the increased importance of suburbs within metropolitan areas. Prime examples include Newsday in the New York suburbs of Long Island and the Orange County Register in southern California.

Second, a number of national newspapers have developed in the United States. Two New York-based newspapers, the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, have expanded their circulation outside their home areas. Both produce several regional editions that emphasize news of local interest. The contents of these newspapers are composed at their headquarters and then transmitted by satellite to local printing plants throughout the country for regional distribution. USA Today, another newspaper intended for nationwide distribution, does not publish regional editions.

The establishment of national newspapers at the top of the newspaper hierarchy may have the eventual effect of impinging on circulation of local newspapers. Already, many local newspapers have dramatically increased their coverage of sports and weather and have added more color and photography in response to the lead of USA Today.