Civil War & the Press

The American press was an economic, social, and political force during the Civil War era. Journalists craved for stories that went beyond the battlefield, forcing the newspaper and magazine businesses to boom. Along with publications, the improvement of technology turned the press into a form of mass media. Although the press became widely known as a source of entertainment and news, journalism in the North and the South had their differences.

Image retrieved from Interactive WBEZ.

The Civil War was one of the most photographed and illustrated eras in history. Majority of the illustrations published in newspapers and magazines appeared in the North. However, the South lacked illustrations because of insufficient manpower, advertising, and supplies (Risley).

Along with differences in illustrations,  the North and the South expressed different views altogether. In the South, also known as the Confederacy, they were known as being proslavery and antidemocratic (McCurry, 2). The North, also known as the Union, was the opposite perspective supporting antislavery and the democratic party. The South was mostly pro-war and the North was mostly antiwar.

Although the North and the South were very passionate about their viewpoints, there were pro-war voices and antiwar voices on both sides of the spectrum. For example, Alexander Stephens, a man of the Confederate states, expressed during the debate of secession that "slavery was safest in the Union" (McCurry, 22). He became the spokesperson for secession during the war, highlighting that it was the answer for an antislavery movement.

In some Southern newspapers, it stated that the North was growing tired of the war, something that was not in their belief system (Risley, 65). For example, Federals suppressed pro-war a Democratic newspaper in Albany, Indiana for censorship. This, in turn, lead to Lincoln facing criticism within his own political party (Bulla, 191).

Aside from all of the differences that the North and the South had in regards to their journalism, they both experienced a vast number of governmental issues together. All newspapers were forced to not criticize the federal government due to the Alien and Sedition Act, leading to massive break-ins and mob violence from those that thought of the newspapers as "disloyal." Most of the incidents took place in the North, however, the fighting took a devastating toll on the South's press (Risley).

The Civil War changed the way of journalism regardless of the differences amongst the North and the South. Reporting methods and writing styles significantly improved, editors took advantage of technological advancements, and newspapers had more of an audience than ever before. If it weren't for this era, it is unknown if Americans would have been as captivated to breaking news as early as they were.