JRN185 Lecture Notes - Lecture 10: William Caxton, Town Crier, Newsquest
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JRN - 185
Newspaper Publishing
● Berrow's Worcester Journal
○ Claims to be the oldest surviving British newspaper (or non-official newspaper as
defined by the British Library)
○ Its history encapsulates the creation of printed, purchased regional newspapers in
that country in a microcosm
○ Founded as the Worcester PostMan
■ A newsletter published irregularly in 1690, starting as the Worcester
Journal in 1709 on a daily weekly basis
○ This has been continuously published ever since
○ Paper was produced as William and Mary came to the throne, supporting the new
king and queen in a city which historically had been Stuart in its loyalties
● Worcester's first printing press was founded in 1548
○ Many books had been printed thereon
○ William Caxton introduced Westminster's first English printing press in 1476
○ About thirty years after Johan Gutenberg invented the moving type
○ During the early years of the sixteenth century the first newspapers had started to
be published during Britain
○ Because the population was predominantly illiterate
○ Were slow to grow and relied on town criers to shout the news to them
○ Though the Worcester Newspaper was published and distributed locally
○ Did not carry any local news at all in an area covering Wolverhampton,
Tewkesbury, Gloucester and Birmingham as well as Worcester
○ Those who purchased the paper, who were the wealthier and more educated at a
time of restricted literacy, evidently only wanted news from the city, news from
war, politics and parliament
○ Today the task of the local weekly newspaper is to bring only local news, news
from the community
○ Over the years, this has increased and the more local, the more grassroots the
reporting, the more popular the paper becomes
● Papers became more local in nature
○ Their owners grew larger and larger
○ As Berrow's started as the Worcester Post Man, Stephen Bryan, who was also the
printer and editor, became his first proprietor
○ Bryan died in 1748, just a few months after his paper was sold to Harvey Berrow
○ Published the journal as Worcester Journal for a few years