love shack babyyy

still waiting on the power supply for my computer. still going absolutely insane about having to spend all the time in the comm lab. i dont like it one bit.
i am not excited about spring break--a) because i am going nowhere b) because my mom/among others want me to come home so so badly (i hate feeling obligated) c) because i'm probably only going home for the weekend (and i acutally miss my mama) and d) because i have two tests, homework, and a paper proposal all immediately following break. so much more like another week of school with less class attendance. great. great. great.

in other news, the weather is terrific. i am getting spring fever terribly and i can't wait to wear sandals and flip-flops again!

i've finished my comm 317 paper about three social movements the press influenced...my choices? well, it had to be directly related to class so i chose the american revolution, the abolitionist movement leading up to the civil war, and the labor movement. i'm nervous to turn it in because i'm not sure how my t.a. will grade...much worry on my part. but whatever....here's the finished draft if you're bored and looking for any kind of remotely mediocre reading material...


Kimberly Leifker
Comm 317
March 14, 2008
The Profound Role of the Press in Social Movements

The press played a profound role in furthering the development of several mass social movements throughout our country’s history. Three particular movements that were especially influenced by the press were the American Revolution, the Abolitionist Movement leading up to the Civil War, and the Labor Movement of the 1880’s through the 1920’s. Each of the three social movements was seeking a forum or medium in which to voice their concerns, demands, and struggles. The press offered this type of solace and guaranteed unity through the spread of information leading to public opinion, unrest, and organization with the collective quest for change. Despite violence, financial burden, and even deportation the editors and contributors to the publications, pamphlets, and newspapers were determined to spread the word and gather strength and organization for the betterment of themselves and their peers.
Newspapers in the pre-revolutionary and revolutionary era sought to remind individuals of their liberties and voices as citizens. They were meant to inform and engage the public and to encourage them to unite for liberation from Great Britain and the exploitation to which they were being subjected. “News was helping to shift attention in ways that were crucial to political change (Leonard 50).” The newspapers of the time helped to foster feelings of “colonial community” and the literacy rates began to increase, thus furthering public participation (Stole, lecture). The public awareness was heightened tremendously by those who read the papers and passed along information by simply speaking about what they knew. The gathering in coffee shops, taverns, and the public square offered even more debate and discussion among the colonial citizens.
Newspapers began to report events that took place between the British soldiers and citizens in the colonies. As Leonard states in his article, News for a Revolution, “Journalists had the duty to reveal [information] to citizens in need of political enlightenment (Leonard 40).” Although some of the information that was provided to the people was barely accurate, it served as a push for public concern and interest in the matters between the colonies and England. According to Leonard,, “political exposes were particularly important between 1768 and 1773.” After the Treaty of Paris, tensions were high among the colonies and Great Britain. This steepened when the British produced the Stamp Act of 1775 which attempted to prevent public discussion over the taxes that were imposed. Individuals such as John Locke and John Dickinson created their own “manifestos” promoting equality, liberty, and free speech among the citizens. The Journal of Occurrences informed citizens of British misconduct, crimes, and assaults (Leonard 39). This information was pinned to trees, tavern doors, and other public areas in order to really ignite the public and to cause concern as well as spark the urge to unite and take a stand. The exposes sought to expose corruption and to investigate for the citizens what was really happening between England and the colonies (Leonard 39). Dickinson’s essay especially encouraged citizens to take a stand and to watch out for themselves. It called out to them, letting them know they were not alone, in unity, they had strength.
The cries of these political exposes and the newspaper discussion forums encouraged the colonies to unite for their stand against Britain. After the Declaration of Independence in 1776, civil liberties were discussed less frequently, however, and the newspaper became the medium for the latest parades, events, and speeches. Papers still featured news that related to the deliberation about the state of the country though. The deliberations regarding the constitution for the newly independent country were kept very secretive. However, the press played a major role in publishing actual copies of the constitution as it was drafted (Stole, lecture). This distribution helped to further public knowledge and the actions of the state, as well as to keep them upbeat about the results of their opposition to Great Britain.
The pre-Civil War era brought about many publications denouncing slavery. The abolitionist press became the organizing tool for the African American community. Not only did the newspapers provide information for alignment and support, it also discussed education and employment which were fundamental to the cause. The paper featured essays and articles that would advocate for the African American. The leaders of the community wished to have a forum in which to counter the experiences of racial attack that was faced daily (Bacon 3). Similarly, they wished to gain strength within society for their people. They felt that equality could only be reached through the strength of a number of people including non-African American people.
By the mid-1800’s, almost all Northern papers supported some aspect of the Abolitionist cause. The South, however, experienced far less newspaper support for abolition. The distribution of newspapers by the African American community (in northern communities) really helped to counter the stereotypes and images that were prominent within the time period, often dealing with racism and racial attacks that were experienced (Bacon 3). The South was behind the North on the amount of reporters it housed and the number of publications it produced, thus allowing less room for opposition to the mainstream ideas about slavery. Printers in the South that supported the abolitionist cause were forced to sell or experienced forms of violence because of their beliefs. The notion of freedom for the slave population was widely opposed in comparison to the North which carried support through its system of newspapers. Freedom’s Journal, much like the North Star, another uniting influence during this time period, helped the African American community to identify and to come together despite geographical context. It is speculated that the funding for Freedom’s Journal was gathered from supporters, both white and nonwhite, as well as from donations, or other private contributions (Bacon 4). Comprehensively, the newspapers of the era, as well as individual pamphlets and essays helped to create strength and social change for African Americans in the United States.
Social tensions and struggles were extremely high during the 1880’s through the 1920’s. There was a struggle to define the social and political configurations of America. The working class consisted primarily of immigrants with working-class unrest and demands of better working conditions. The Labor Movement was greatly influenced by the role of the press. It became the tool in which the immigrant community could voice their concerns for working conditions and “transform economic and political conditions (Bekken 151).” Factory workers experienced improper environments, poor wages, and many hazards within their occupation. There were cases of discrimination, as well as language barriers that needed to be addressed by the immigrant community (lecture). The newspapers of the time provided this outlet for frustration as well as the call for change, and as a way to build resistance and strength for labor strikes and other forms of radical or non-radical opposition.
“Regardless of political orientation and organizational affiliation, the working-class press addressed issues of class and politics (Bekken 152).” Most combined social and labor politics with entertainment and cultural attraction. The papers helped to solidify the Jewish cultural identity while supporting assimilation into a new American frame of mind (lecture). The heavy circulation of these papers provided the community with a sense of unity and kept the fight alive. The prosperity of the Labor Press depended highly upon the support for the actual movement and the papers of the time suffered when there was not enough immigrant support or when the funding simply could not be found. Papers gained finance through donations, stock purchases, low-interest bonds, and benefits from fundraising (Bekken 165).
In addition to financial troubles, similar to the abolitionist press before it, the working-class newspapers in the cities were subjected to mob violence, destruction of their presses, and even deportation of their editors (Bekken 159). The violence that was faced by many of the newspaper producers was overlooked because of the desire to solidify workers, farmers, and citizens to form a majority to defeat the capitalistic ventures of their society. These newspapers practiced a different kind of journalism than was prominent at the time. The papers were not being sold for profit, but for the building of strength and unity for the oppressed peoples of the era.
In each of the three era loaded with social change and reform, the press provided the community with a tool to gather and unite in their common goal. Newspapers within the Labor Movement were started by the immigrants looking to unite and so its main regard was to that duty. The newspapers of the American Revolution were meant to be informatory and the papers leading up to the Civil War were working to unite as well. Funding could become troublesome for the papers. The printers carried the cost at times, however, some looked to advertising, individual support, or organizations. The press pushed on throughout each of these three eras and promoted equality, unity, and liberation for the masses.
The press contributed heavily to the gathering and strengthening of the social movements of the American Revolution, the Civil War era, and the Labor Movement of the 1880’s through the 1920’s. The amount of publicity, the education of both participants and nonparticipants, and the push for social change were floored by the use of newspapers, publications, essays, and exposes featured throughout communities. The press increased literacy rates and provided a forum for public discussion. The citizenry were more informed and inflamed about the inequality and oppression they or their peers were being subjected to. The role of the press was pertinent in the push for equality and social reform within these contexts.