The Party Press
Part one: Post-Revolutionary journalism; first party system
Questions for next week:
- What did Shay's Rebellion indicate to editors and politicians of the period?
- What were the primary ideological differences between the Federalists and Republicans?
- How did these parties use communications materials of the time?
- Did the press of the era attempt to be unbiased or impartial, like today?
- What were some of the restrictions put on editors by political adversaries?
- What was the format and price of the party press newspaper? How many laborers did a publication require?
- What role did the newpaper editor play in the early American party systems?
Part two: Party press editors
Questions for next week:
- What is the political patronage and how did it impact journalistic publications?
- How did newspapers assist in political persuasion and communications during the era?
- Who were the two primary Federalist editors and how did they operate their publications?
- How did the Republican and Federalist editors interact both in person and in print?
- What advances in journalism occurred during the first party system?
Part three: The second party system & journalism
Questions for next week:
- Which presidential elections were held during the second party system?
- Who were the Jacksonian Democrats and how did their press network distinguish itself from earlier party organs?
- How did other parties use the press to communicate or persuade the public?
- What journalistic advances took place during the second party system and the party press era, generally?