SPOTLIGHT ON: NEWSPAPER HISTORY

By Christine Bruzzese

According to the Encyclopedia of New York City, the first New York City newspaper was published in 1725. Since then, the newspaper has been a staple of New York life in print and more recently in electronic format. This article highlights some publications on newspapers and the newspaper business in New York City.

Tell it to Sweeney: an Informal History of the Daily News by John Chapman was published in 1961. This book tells the story of the establishment of the Daily News as a paper for the average working person. Emphasizing photos, features such as "Voice of the People," and sensationalistic headlines and reporting, the News became a success in the 1920's. "Tell it to Sweeney" was an early advertising slogan of the newspaper, referring to the average New Yorker as opposed to the wealthy.

The Eagle and Brooklyn: a Community Newspaper, 1841-1955 by Raymond A. Schroth is a history of the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper. Founded in 1841, the paper became influential locally and nationally. This book charts the paper's rise as Brooklyn developed. The Eagle encouraged economic and social expansion in Brooklyn and served as a voice for the community. It also became involved in political reform on the national level. As the population and social climate of Brooklyn changed, the paper gradually became less popular and eventually ceased operations after a prolonged labor dispute.

When Giants Ruled: the Story of Park Row, New York's Great Newspaper Street by Hy B. Turner chronicles the development of Park Row as the center of newspaper publishing in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Beginning with the establishment of the New York Sun and the growth of rival papers, Park Row became known as "Newspaper Row." The author discusses the careers and accomplishments of such editors and publishers as Horace Greeley, Joseph Pulitzer, Adolph S. Ochs and William Randolph Hearst. Also described is the work of writers and illustrators, competition for circulation, the role of newspapers in the political process and factors that led to the decline of Park Row as a newspaper center.

Pulitzer by W. A. Swanberg is a biography of Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of the New York World from 1883 to 1911. A Hungarian immigrant from a poor family, Pulitzer first made his fortune in newspaper publishing in St. Louis then New York. The World became an important newspaper under Pulitzer's leadership, famous for excellent reporting and courageous editorial stances.

Clippings and other material on newspapers, the newspaper publishing business and related topics can be found in the City Hall Library collection as well. Explore these resources to learn more.

By the Way

Did you know that May has been designated Asian American Pacific Heritage Month and Jewish Heritage Month? Explore the resources of the City Hall Library such as city agency publications, books and clippings on the contributions of these groups to New York City life, culture and history.

ACQUISITIONS LIST, APRIL 2007

The following publications were received by the City Hall Library in the past month. Additional government publications can be found online in our Government Publications section.

Drum Major Institute.
Saving our middle class: a survey of New York's leaders. April 2007.

FoodChange, Inc.
Immigrant access to the food stamp program: an in-depth analysis of New York City's immigrant communities, estimates of unmet need and barriers to access. By Elizabeth McCarthy and Almas Sayeed. New York, 2007.

N.Y. City. Health and Mental Hygiene, Department of. Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Summary of vital statistics 2005 City of New York. 2007.

N.Y. City. Independent Budget Office.
Alternative to jail programs for juveniles reduce city costs. (IBO Inside the Budget) July 11, 2006.

N.Y. City. Independent Budget Office.
Analysis of the Mayor's preliminary budget for 2008: IBO's re-estimate of the Mayor's preliminary budget for 2008 and financial plan through 2011. March 2007.

N.Y. City. Independent Budget Office.
Budget options for New York City. February 2007.

N.Y. City. Independent Budget Office.
City's fiscal picture continues to brighten. (IBO Fiscal Outlook) January 2007.

N.Y. City. Independent Budget Office.
Comparing state and local taxes in large U.S. cities. (IBO Fiscal Brief) February 2007.

N.Y. City. Independent Budget Office.
Does city capital spending match the 10-year strategy? (IBO Fiscal Brief) February 2007.

N.Y. City. Independent Budget Office.
New York City's costs for resolving lawsuits. (IBO Newsfax, No. 147) June 12, 2006.

N.Y. City. Independent Budget Office.
Staten Island Ferry: rising costs lead to spending double. (IBO Inside the Budget) March 6, 2007.

N.Y. City. Independent Budget Office.
Tuition a rising share of CUNY revenue as state share falls. (IBO Fiscal Brief) July 2006.

N.Y. City. Independent Budget Office.
Twenty-five years after S7000A: how property tax burdens have shifted in New York City. December 2, 2006.

N.Y. City. Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Douglaston Hill Historic District: designation report addendum. December 14, 2004, April 3, 2007. Designation List 358 (LP-2155).

N.Y. City. Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Jackie Robinson (Colonial Park) Play Center: designation report. April 10, 2007. Designation List 390 (LP-2238)

N.Y. City. Landmarks Preservation Commission.
Jackie Robinson (Colonial Park) Play Center Bath House interior: designation report. April 10, 2007. Designation List 390 (LP-2239)

N.Y. City. Management and Budget, Office of.
Community Board service program rankings for FY2008. 2007.

N.Y. City. Management and Budget, Office of.
District resource statements:

Department of Buildings
Department of Transportation
Libraries
Department of Environmental Protection
Department of Small Business Services
Department of Sanitation
Department for the Aging

N.Y. City. Management and Budget, Office of.
Geographic report: FY2006 year-end financial statement and FY 2007 current modified expense budget. 2007.

N.Y. City. Management and Budget, Office of. Community Development Unit.
Proposed city fiscal year 2008 Community Development Program: proposed CFY '08 budget, proposed reallocation of CD 33 funds and proposed CD34 budget. April 26, 2007.

N.Y. City. Tax Commission.
2006 annual report. 2007

N.Y. State. Health, Department of.
2006 New York State Managed Care Plan performance. 2007.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
New York City filtration avoidance determination. Prepared by USEPA in consultation with NYSDOH. April 2007.

U.S. Geological Survey.
Hydrogeology of the Lloyd Aquifer on Long Island, New York: a brief summary of USGS investigations. December 2006.

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