media in the Civil War

ez186125 · Posted: Thu Apr 03, 2008 3:22 am Post subject: media in the Civil War

Would anybody know the differences between the Northern and Southern newspapers?

Like in mass media class, we were discussing the American civil war: the influences of the newspapers and the reporters for the newspapers of either side. Were there certain biases? Were they professional about it? I don't, I just thought about it one day.

Bbbob · Sergeant Joined: 28 Apr 2007 Posts: 12

That's a good question and here's a fact that not many people are aware of.

The northern newspapers had no choice but to write in favor of Lincoln and his agenda. If any northern newspaper was critical of Lincoln and/or the war, Lincoln dealt with them by using military force to shut down those newspapers and they would often imprison the editors. These papers were also denied the right to use mail to deliver their papers and this would often continue until the papers would go into bankruptcy. The "secret police" would also ransack offices and destroy property of newspapers that were critical of Lincoln.

So the Northern media had the choice of Supporting the war and Lincoln or suffer the wrath of Lincoln.

Hard to believe something like this was happening isn't it?

Just another little known fact of the Civil War.

Leon · Sergeant Joined: 12 Apr 2008 Posts: 14 Location: London

Jefferson Davis probably wanted to do what Lincoln did with the newspapers. But he did not have the power.

Bbbob · Sergeant Joined: 28 Apr 2007 Posts: 12

The south was fighting against a government having the power to do that kind of thing.

That FACT renders your Jefferson Davis comment, ignorant and ridiculous.

Let's stick to the FACTS.

The FACT is that Lincoln did do those things I mentioned above.

Of course that's not taught in schools, so probably less than 1 percent of people in this country know that.