9 of the very first editions of famous American newspapers by Kristine Solomon on Sep 20, 2018, 10:29 AM Advertisement
 - Newspapers revolutionized communication and the way people receive news.
- Some of the first newspapers emerged in the 1800s and have been so successful that they continue to reach millions of readers two decades later.
- Here are nine of the very first editions of famous American newspapers like New York Times and Washington Post.
Many of the most iconic American newspapers have been around since the 1800s, when the Industrial Revolution took off and made print more accessible to readers. To break into such a robust industry as newspapers in the 19th century was no easy feat, according to W. Joseph Campbell, media history professor at American University and author of "Getting It Wrong: Debunking the Greatest Myths in American Journalism." "Multiple newspapers in major cities were slugging it out, and it was a very challenging market for newspapers to break into," Campbell told Business Insider. "The casualty rate was very high." Once established, remaining stable through the introduction of digital media in the late 1900s brought on another layer of challenges for print publications, and print advertising revenue began to decline by the billions, AEI reported. According to Campbell, a few legacy brands have been able to withstand the influence of digital media due to key components they possessed early on, like a strong point of view, a publisher with deep pockets, and a competitive price, that allowed them to go the distance. You wouldn't have guessed that from the front pages of their first issues, though, which looked drastically different than they do today. Here's a fascinating look at the first issues of some of the most iconic American newspapers that still reach millions of readers today. SEE ALSO: 11 books to read if you want to save more money 1. New York Times  First issue: September 18, 1851. The New York Times was founded as a morning newspaper in the mid-19th century among stiff competition. Its first front page had six columns of nothing but tightly packed text — not even a headline. "There was no effort until the second half of 19th century to make the front page have some eye appeal for the reader," Michael Schudson, media historian and professor of journalism at the Columbia School of Journalism told Business Insider. In 1896, former publisher and owner Adolph Ochs saved a struggling Times from bankruptcy by introducing photographs, the Sunday magazine, and a new slogan — "All the News That's Fit To Print." The turning point of success came two years later, when Ochs lowered the paper's price to one cent. Circulation tripled from 26,000 to 76,000 within a year, and advertising revenues took off.
2. Washington Post  First issue: December 6, 1877. The Washington Post debuted as a four-page daily that cost three cents. Like the Times, it bore a headline-free front page covered with text. The first issue reported news from Washington DC and beyond, including the war in Constantinople, the failing health of Pope Pius IX, a column devoted to New York City news, and "an old bachelor [who] died of the combined effects of a cat-bite with his own folly." The paper flip-flopped from strongly Democratic to conservative Republican while trying to establish its identity. "The Washington Post was not the leading light in DC until well into the 20th century, when Eugene Meyer bought it at a bankruptcy sale" in 1933, Schudson said.
3. San Francisco Chronicle  First issue: January 16, 1865. During the heyday of the Wild West, teenage brothers Charles de Young and Gustavas de Young borrowed a $20 gold piece to launch their newspaper, The Daily Dramatic Chronicle, which eventually became the San Francisco Chronicle. A third brother, Michael, later helped Charles run the paper. Their ambitious mission was to "enlighten mankind … and San Francisco … of actions, intentions, sayings, doings, movements, successes, failures, oddities, peculiarities, and speculations, of us poor mortals here below." Though it reported the news of the San Francisco Bay Area, the front page was predominantly advertisements, which were crucial to its survival, Schudson said. "My assumption is that people read newspapers like they read books. You look for the heart of the matter inside," he said of the cover.
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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