Empire of ink : the printers, rogues, and radicals who invented the American newspaper / Alex Wright.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wright, Alex, 1966- Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Journalism--United States--History--18th century.

Journalism.

Journalism--United States--History--19th century.

American newspapers--History--18th century.

American newspapers.

American newspapers--History--19th century.

Publishers and publishing--United States--History--18th century.

Publishers and publishing.

Publishers and publishing--United States--History--19th century.

American newspapers--History.

Journalism--History.

United States.

Physical Description:

viii, 370 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm

Edition:

First edition.

Other Title:

Printers, rogues, and radicals who invented the American newspaper

Place of Publication:

New York : Basic Books, 2026.

Summary:

"No society had ever generated so much ink and paper in so little time. Between the Revolutionary War and the dawn of the twentieth century, the number of American newspapers increased five hundredfold, producing the greatest outpouring of printed matter the world had ever seen. In Empire of Ink, Alex Wright tells the story of how an unruly young democracy found its voice, fueled by a mix of new technologies, bold public policies, and a distinctly American zeal for free expression that unleashed a torrent of newsprint, knitting together a fractious republic. It was a wild, boisterous era populated by gunslinging editors, tramp printers, zealous reformers, brilliant inventors, and literal snake-oil salesmen. Together, they transformed journalism, built a new industry, and helped forge the nation's character. By century's end, this freewheeling press had yielded to corporate interests. Wealthy media barons seized on new technologies and economies of scale to consolidate power, shaping the mass media that would define the twentieth century. Vividly bringing to life a pivotal chapter in American history, Empire of Ink reveals how the same struggles over truth, technology, and power continue to echo into today's digital age"-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Prologue: The printer's devil

Introduction

Part I: A paper nation. Treading the pelts

Knights of the scissors

Communities of the unseen

Engines of abundance

Part II: "Every man his own printer". Paths to perdition

A tramp at home

Hot blood, cold type

"The prayer of twenty millions"

The greenhorn brigade

A shirt-tail full of type

Part III: Amassing the media. Ghost editors

Cocaine cough drops and other cures

Twilight of the velocipede

The music begins

Epilogue: Information empires.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Other Format:

Online version Wright, Alex, 1966- Empire of ink

ISBN:

9781541606791

1541606795

OCLC:

1569207769

Publisher Number:

90104656237