History of the written press

The history of the written press is in particular indissociable of that of the writing and the Papier which is used to him as support.

Antiquity

The oldest writing would be the wedge-shaped writing which was invented by the Sumériens it there at a few 6.400 years. At that time, one wrote in clay shelves using calames (cut reeds) whose end was bevelled. The Papier, will be invented to him into 100,101 after JC by the Chinese (under the dynasty of Han).

In France - the press with the the Middle Ages and under the Old Mode

Conscious of the capacity which it represents, the royal capacity always took care to exert a rigorous control. Under the Old Mode, to make appear a newspaper implied to have obtained a privilege and an prior approval. It was the case in particular first large French periodical, the Gazette : its writer, Théophraste Renaudot, had obtained as of 1631 a royal privilege guaranteeing the monopoly of information to some extent to him, thanks to the intervention of the Cardinal of Richelieu.

Some make go up with the Antiquité the origins of the press. However, a majority of authors agree to define this one on the basis of two criterion: the use of the Printing works, thanks to the development of the Typography, in 1438, by Johannes Gutenberg and the periodicity. These two factors will not meet, to support the diffusion of the news, that with the whole beginning of the 17th century.

Previously, those circulated thanks to manuscripts, or with occasional printed sheets. The first met a need growing for information of the bankers and the Italian and German merchants, while the seconds made it possible the printers to extend their market beyond that of the book, insufficiently profitable, and to answer growing waiting of the readers. These loose leves remained occasional, even if sometimes they formed numbered series.

During the 16th century, annual or semi-annual publications of news started to be born. At the next century, various attempts at weekly or semi-monthly publications appeared, probably due to the fact that the postal mails left the big cities per week once. They are born in the German cities, the Austrian Netherlands and the United Provinces and pass then in England, in France, Italy and in the remainder of the Europe. They in general contained information concerning the foreign policy and the wars, leaving the interior policy on side, which is explained being given very great control that the capacity endeavoured from the beginning to exert on the press.

In addition, it should be noted that these periodicals did not make disappear the writings not-periodicals or the manuscripts: those developed on the contrary during and the 18th century. It will even be necessary to await the end of the 19th century with the birth of the press at a cheap rate to see disappearing a popular literature from hawking quite alive.

This progressive birth of the press must be located in its context: “A series of political, economic and intellectual factors combined their effects to notably increase the thirst for news in Occident. Rebirth, then the Reform multiplied curiosities. The great discoveries widened the European horizon. Progress of the exchanges banking and involved a parallel development of the exchanges of information. The great conflicts which tear the Occident at the 16th century nourished currents and needs for information”.

And 18th centuries

During and 18th century, the press acquired established among and aroused the interest of public gradually. However, except in the United Kingdom and in the United Provinces, it undergoes a very strict Censure and was the subject in each country of a monopoly conceded by the State, which explains its impossibility to be critical and the persistence of handwritten news and multiple publications under the coat. This door censure should not however lead us to over-estimate the role of the press at that time: it was discredited by the intellectuals who used the books, booklets or lampoons to diffuse their ideas.

In France - its situation after the French revolution

the inspecting device installed under the Ancien Mode was swept the day before the French revolution whereas the drafting began from the Registers of grievances.
the French revolution allowed real advanced and an awakening, but the Freedom of the press therefore was not definitively acquired.

In France - its situation with the XX° century

In France - its current location and its future

the written press crosses at present a zone of turbulence because in particular of the development of the free press and of Internet. The Parisian daily newspapers are touched; their audience dropped by 12% between 1997 and 2003 what represents the loss of 800.000 readers.
the Éditeur of press being reactive and imaginative adapted solutions will be found to limit this reduction.

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