39. US journalism during the civil war (1861-1865)

The USA was one of the last countries to abolish slavery. Some journalists decided to oppose slavery in the pages of southern newspapers.

Three times the pogroms' gangs destroyed the printing house of the newspaper Alton Telegraph, and each time its publisher, Elia Lazjoy, rebuilt the equipment in order to continue the propaganda of the liberation of slaves. In 1836, this noble man and humanist was killed. The Republican government could first rely on its traditional allies, the New York Tribune and the New York Times. These two newspapers rendered him an invaluable service. At the same time, the Tribune even tried to rush the government. On August 20, 1862, the Prayer of 20 Millions was published in it, where Greeley called on the president not to delay the release of slaves.

The situation was more difficult with the Herald and Sun, traditionally focused on the democratic party. Lincoln even offered Bennet some kind of bribe - the appointment as ambassador to France for supporting the government. The king of the "yellow" press proudly refused, but in the end both of these newspapers still stood for the fight against the Southerner rebels.

However, in the North there were many newspapers that openly helped the enemy. Although the government from time to time resorted to repression, these measures did not become systematic. Northerners were more likely to lose the war than lose the freedom of the press. When, in May 1864, New York World and the Journal of Commerce published deliberately false information about 400,000 people allegedly being prepared for a gun with a gun in order to cause unrest, the government forbade them to go out for just two days! Authorities often put up obstacles to newspapers in solidarity with Southerners when they were mailed. The most stringent measure was taken against the Freemen's Journal, which was suspended for 8 months. Greater severity of the government could not afford even in the war years.

And, finally, it is difficult to overestimate the harm that the press of the army inflicted by publishing secret information. Any war opens wide scope for the activities of not only the military, but also journalists. Interest in the news increases sharply, news from the theater of military action takes place on the front page.

Together with the soldiers, an entire army of newspaper reporters came out: correspondents, photo reporters and artists, from whose drawings xylographic battle scenes were printed. Only one New York "Herald" sent to the front of 40 journalists, equipped with the latest technology. The losses of this “limited” journalistic contingent in the course of hostilities were considerable and amounted to one killed by a stray bullet of southerners, three dead from illness, five arrested and expelled from the army for excessive curiosity. In terms of risk, the profession of a war correspondent was second only to that of a soldier. Sometimes the newspaper workers had to get into the thick of the battle, get out of the encirclement and even conduct reconnaissance behind enemy lines, so that later, at the risk of incurring the wrath of the military authorities, pass on sensational news to the editor. Meanwhile, demanding confidential information from their correspondents, publishers often fired from work those who were caught red-handed because they did not want to spoil relations with the military.

The Journalism of the South found itself in a much more difficult position during the civil war. Firstly, the opposition was practically impossible here, since in slave-owning states there had long been laws punishing criticism of slavery. The military censorship here was much stricter. Secondly, 95% of the paper was produced in the northern states. This alone should have delivered a sensitive blow to the journalism of the South. Sometimes newspapers were printed on paper for wallpaper, but it was not enough. If we add here also the fact that almost all printing equipment and paint were produced in the North, that from the sea, the South was blocked by the northern fleet, that this blockade caused a general economic crisis, aggravated by the devastating effects of military operations, which were conducted mainly in the southern states, which Finally, the occupying authorities of the northerners here could disregard public opinion and close newspapers at their own discretion, then the desperate situation of the newspapers of the South during the civil war becomes understandable. If the difficulties of the journalism of the North were the inevitable companions of its rapid growth and development, then the seal of the South could heal the wounds inflicted by the war only in subsequent years.

The main outcome of the civil war for journalism was the new impetus given to the development of the northern states of the press. During the war years, circulation increased dramatically, information gathering improved, operational efficiency increased, and the financial situation of northern newspapers strengthened. All this prepared the American press for further changes related to the creation of the first newspaper concerns in the years 1870-1890.