Print Media in History

Print Media: Its Influence on Public Policy in Foreign and Domestic Pursuits. History and Today

For the duration of the Revolutionary War, the hub of newspapers and print media remained in Massachusetts, New York, and Pennsylvania. “Revolutionary propagandists” of print media were a fundamental power that persuaded the Colonial public’s opinion to fight toward freedom from the British Empire and to enforce the idea of an independent nation. (Milestones in the History of Media and Politics, 2007, ¶ 7). Through such persuasive media, the states and confederate leaders achieved to gain colonial support for the cause. Due to print media’s successes with declaring independence, the public policies and the dealings of the new central government were reported by existing and new newspapers (which almost doubled after the war) to provide the public with an image of political affairs.

Article and print popularity paved the road to institute the public’s political attitudes toward the government and served as a forum to influence governmental powers. Barber states that “the no holds barred style of early journalism, much of it libelous by modern standards, reflected the rough and tumble political life of the republic as rival factions jostled for power” (2007). He further states that due to Amendment I (freedom of the Press) of the “Bill of Rights” (1791), newspapers of the new nation, “began to take on a central role in national affairs” (2007).

Today, considering the assortment of media outlets, public opinions and views can sway and assist the government’s decision making process and strategic initiatives on any issue. For example, with the current issues in Iraq, our previous president, President Bush, used a tactic (in 2006) similar to perpetual mapping in that he created the Iraq research group (Baker-Hamilton). Because the President and his administration have understood their flaws in their actions to seek for peace, they welcomed public polls and groups to provide input and suggestions through different medias, e.g. such as television and print.