Thursday, April 24, 2025

EOTO #1 Reaction Publick OCCURRENCES & Boston NewsLetter

Learning about early American newspapers like Publick Occurrences Both Forreign and Domestick and The Boston News-Letter honestly made me realize how far journalism has come—and how risky it was to publish back then. It’s crazy to think about a time before instant news updates. The idea of getting information from just a few printed pages that had to be shared with neighbors sounds so different from today’s endless stream of news.

Take Publick Occurrences, for example. It was America’s first newspaper, and it only lasted one issue. The government shut it down because they didn’t like what it had to say. Imagine working hard to get your ideas out there, only for them to be silenced immediately—it must have been frustrating. But still, it was the beginning of something bigger. It showed that there was a need for people to share their thoughts and stay informed. Publick Occurences

Then came The Boston News-Letter. Unlike Publick Occurrences, it had government support, which is probably why it stuck around much longer. Sure, it wasn’t totally independent since it reflected the government’s perspective, but at least it gave people regular updates and built the foundation for newspapers in America. It’s wild to think how the press evolved from something so basic to the crazy variety of news outlets we have now. Boston News Letter

Looking back, I think these newspapers represent the courage of early journalists and the importance of freedom of the press. It’s inspiring to know that even when censorship was a huge problem, people still tried to inform others about what was happening. Today, we have so much access to information that it’s easy to take it for granted. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Final Post

Ida B. Wells wasn’t just a journalist—she was a warrior. A disruptor. A force against injustice. Born into slavery in 1862, she would go on ...