Activity 5, Freedom of the Press and National Security
Conflict tests democracy-- its cohesion, staying power and its sense of purpose. Conflict also tests democracy's commitment to its central values of freedom, openness, independent inquiry, dissent, and public debate. During the past two centuries, the majority of Americans have supported the limited abridgement of the First Amendment in times of war and on issues of public security and safety. Once war has been declared, many Americans believe that the press and media should defer to governmental needs and desires. The tension between a free press and the government is at its greatest during periods of war.
Prior to the Civil War there were no governmental restrictions upon the press during wartime. However, during the Revolutionary War (1775-1782) a Boston editor was run out of town by patriots for trying to present an alternative view to the war. In New York, James Rivington of the New York Gazetteer was not permitted to present loyalist and patriot points of views. A major reason for the lack of governmental censorship was due to the communication and transportation system that existed at the time. Dispatches were so slow getting into print that there was little chance of their providing useful information to the enemy or embarrassment to the generals.
The Mexican-American War (1846-47) became the first foreign war to be covered extensively by American correspondents. Newspapers developed extensive communication links to the war zones, and often delivered the news faster than did military couriers and the U.S. mails. Newspapers also began using the telegraph, which had been invented by Samuel Morse in 1844. When the Mexican-American War started, telegraph lines were few in number. Through this novel source, news reports of battles in Mexico reached some editors within a few days of the actual events themselves.
During the 1850's, telegraph lines spread throughout the nation and newspaper correspondents could speedily report events and disseminate news within a matter of hours. Simultaneously, newspaper circulation rapidly expanded. By the middle of the nineteenth century the combined circulation of all U.S. dailies had climbed to an estimated 300,000 copies.
In addition, magazines rapidly expanded readerships. The word magazine derived from the French language and meant "store." Early British magazines (circa 1731) were "stores" containing essays, stories, reviews, news, poems, and other items. Magazines differed from newspapers in that a single issue often focused upon a particular topic and therefore appealed to readers interested in that particular topic. In the United States, magazine readership rapidly expanded during the mid-nineteenth century. Magazines have had a substantial impact upon the middle class often promoting social and political reforms and putting issues and events into perspective. Since many magazines were national in scope, they fostered a sense of national community.
Student Questions
Why was there no governmental censorship during the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 or the Mexican-American War?
How might technological changes affect relationships between the press and the military during times of conflict?
How might an increased readership of newspapers and magazines influence society?
What is the difference between a newspaper and a magazine?
Return to Activity 5.
Go to the Contents page for International Conflict and the Media.
Go to the Bibliography.