1. Reporting on Party Spirit.
- Author
-
SHEEHY, MICHAEL
- Subjects
NEWSPAPERS ,STATES' rights (American politics) ,JOURNALISM ,NEWSPAPER publishing ,PRESS & politics ,POLITICAL movements ,OHIO state history, 1787-1865 - Abstract
The Western Spy, a weekly newspaper published by Joseph Carpenter, first appeared in Cincinnati in 1799, four years before Ohio became a state. This article examines the Spy's coverage of Northwest Territory politics and the statehood movement from May 1799 through the Ohio General Assembly's first meeting in March 1803. The study found: the paper's political coverage largely consisted of the publication of raw data without an editorial narrative; the isolation of the Northwest Territory caused delays in the reporting of news, which influenced the Spy's news-gathering, sourcing, and publication schedule; and the paper's reliance on official documents for news often caused it to overlook underlying stories. But most importantly, the Spy exercised the power of the press in an impartial manner, making Carpenter a journalistic pioneer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
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