Post #2: Midterm Recap

Throughout each class period, we have covered a various amount of information regarding the history of journalism dating all the way back to the 1600's. Given we are at the halfway point of the semester, let's recap about what we have learned so far. 

To start off, the most basic thing to understand are the Six Clauses or "Freedoms" listed in the First Amendment: freedom from religion, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, freedom of press (a fundamental, personal right not an institutional one), freedom of assembly, and freedom of petition or protest. Perhaps it can be confusing sometimes knowing the difference between freedom FROM religion and freedom OF religion. They may seem to go hand in hand as they both involve religion, but are actually contrasting concepts. Freedom of religion protects an individuals right to believe and practice any religion or none at all. On the other hand, freedom from religion prohibits the free exercise of religion. Nonetheless, it is thanks to the First Amendment that we are all able to have our fundamental rights protected in our everyday lives, allowing us to have the opportunity to live more openly as human beings. 

Moving past the First Amendment, another notable lesson I believe that needs to be highlighted is the Colonial Press Era. 

The Colonial Press Era lasted from the late 1600's to the late 1700's. In 1690, Benjamin Harris and Richard Pierce invented the newspaper, Publick Occurrences, where they ended up being jailed for printing and publishing the paper because they didn't have a license. As a result, the newspaper only had one issue since it began and ended in the same day. In 1704, the Boston Newsletter was founded by John Campbell and covered news directly from England, local events, etc. Additionally, in 1769, Isaac Doolittle became the first American to sell and manufacture a mechanical printing press that printed multiple pages in a fast amount of time. 

There is no doubt that the Colonial Press Era served as a guide for journalists throughout the rest of history. It ultimately was the beginning of journalism and contributed to the establishment of a nation founded on freedom of expression. The creation of the first printing press is so important as it allowed people to be able to have a reliable source of communication beyond the colonies. 

Overall, the information covered from the beginning of the semester to the midpoint allowed me to be able to gain new and valuable knowledge about the start of journalism in our country.