Fanpu Liu

In the early 1800s most newspapers cost approximately six cents. While that may seem affordable in today's economy, it wasn't until the emergence of one cent newspapers that they became available to more than just upper class citizens for the first time. The more people who were able to read the news, the higher the demand for newspapers. As circulation increased, news became more important. The Penny press was important to the evolution of journalism because it changed the way newspapers were run. It ushered in the era where the amount of news content was solely based on how much advertisement was sold. This allowed newspapers to be sold at the low price of a penny instead of 6 cents like other newspapers. It also changed the content of what writers and readers were used to. James Gordon Bennett played a part in this evolution of journalism. Businessmen like Bennett targeted the mass population with stories. In the middle of the 19th century, the penny press, low-priced newspapers, which mainly covered news stories of crime and adventure, made its appearance in the East coast. Penny press papers were revolutionary content by declaring their independence from political parties and concentrating on news rather