The History of Newspapers

The Oxford Gazette was the first true newspaper to be printed in London on 7th November 1665. The Oxford Gazette was first published because Charles 2nd ordered it when him and the royal family escaped to oxford when the great plague broke out, where is ordered it to be printed at the University press. In the 17th century nobody would be able to read as the poor would't be able to afford to read as they would not have the money to send their children to school. With the plague disappearing from the capital, and Charles II and his court back in London, The London Gazette is born, as 'issue 24'. The London Gazette was first published on 16 November 1665. It became the only published newspaper in London during the late 17th century, as all others were being suppressed. However, in the UK the right to print was strictly controlled, publication was controlled under the Licensing Act of 1662.

The London Gazette was set like this

In the 18th century the first English Journalist to achieve national importance was Daniel Defoe. This is because in 1704 he released his weekly newspaper, the Review. This was printed at least 3 times a week which was a forerunner of the Tatler, Daniel's newspaper came to an end in 1710. To learn more about Daniel Defoe click here.

In the early 19th century there were 52 different newspapers being published in London, this caused development for the public's need for information. It also had a massive growth in circulation for major events, and it also improved communication overall between people. The Daily Universal Register began life in 1785. This was later to become known as The Times from 1788. This was the most significant newspaper of the first half of the 19th century, but from around 1860 there were a number of more strongly competitive titles, each differentiated by its political biases and interests. In 1802 and 1815 the tax on newspapers was increased to three pence and then four pence. Unable or unwilling to pay this fee, between 1831 and 1835 hundreds of untaxed newspapers made their appearance.

Some of the major newspapers in the past still remain a major newspaper for modern day, such as the Daily Telegraph. The Daily Telegraph was first published on 29 June 1855 and was owned by Arthur Sleigh, who transferred it to Joseph Levy the following year. Levy produced it as the first penny newspaper in London. His son, Edward Lawson soon became editor, a post he held until 1885. The Daily Telegraph became the organ of the middle class and could claim the largest circulation in the world in 1890. It held a consistent Liberal Party allegiance until opposing Gladstone's foreign policy in 1878 when it turned Unionist.

Another newspaper that is major within the modern world is The Daily Mail. The Daily Mail was first published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it became Britain's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. The Daily Mail was Britain's first daily newspaper aimed at the newly literate "lower-middle class market resulting from mass education, combining a low retail price with plenty of competitions, prizes and promotional gimmicks", and the first British paper to sell a million copies a day. It was, from the outset, a newspaper for women, being the first to provide features especially for them and is the only British newspaper whose readership is more than 50 % female, at 53 %

William Caxton was an English merchant, writer and printer. He is thought to be the first Englishman to introduce a printing press into England, in 1476, and was the first English retailer of printed books. For more information about the printing press in general, watch the clip below.