In 1690 of September, Richard Pierce published the first newspaper in American history. It was first and only printed in Boston with the help of Benjamin Harris as the editor before it got shut down. It was intended to be a monthly paper, but authorities shut him down before a second one was ever printed. Authorities did not like what Richard Pierce was printing and the freedom of the press was nonexistent at this point so they had the power to shut it down.
When April of 1704 came around, John Campbell published the first issue of the Boston News-Letter. This was America's first official weekly newspaper. This newspaper ranged from ship arrivals to English politics. One of their most compelling stories was about the death of the famous Pirate Black Beard and how he died in hand to hand combat. However, the paper never really made much money. It was not until 1732 when John Draper took over the paper and reedited it in hopes to make more profit.
By December of 1719, two more papers came out, one more in Boston (The Boston Gazette) and one in Philadelphia (The American Weekly Mercury). Over the next couple of decades, many other cities and states got their own newspapers. By 2003 “more than 54 million newspapers were sold daily” and even more were sold on Sundays. This alone shows how much of an impact this simple idea made.
People everyday used the newspaper as a source of information and communication. With daily updates on current events, people would buy their daily copies to keep up on local and worldwide events. The newspaper was so crucial to people during this time because it was the only real source of news. People did not have televisions or radios to be kept up to date on what is happening in not only their city but around the world. When the first paper came out, it was only 3 pages long. To date, the papers have grown to a minimum of roughly 30 pages to a maximum of about 100 pages. With time, there is more information to tell and more section of it. People now not only use the paper for information but for entertainment as well (the comic strip, travel section, etc.)
Newspapers have covered the full spectrum from local stories about families to the Wall Street Journal that cover business angles on world events. The newspaper was such a crucial part of people's everyday lives and the only source of news until the radio came about. With increased digital competition it is becoming less important. With all the different news shows and radio stations, even the internet, the newspaper seems to be coming to its end. It was not until 2003, that the newspaper industry really started its decline. This was when people became more comfortable with the internet and news channels on tv.
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