American newspapers redefined journalism after the Civil War by breaking away from the editorial and financial control of the Democratic and Republican parties. Smythe chronicles the rise of the New Journalism, where pegging newspaper sales to market forces was the cost of editorial independence. Successful papers in post-bellum America thrived by catering to a mass audience, which increased their circulations and raised their advertising revenues. Still active politically, independent editors now sought to influence their readers' opinions themselves rather than serve as conduits for the party line.

After the War presents a panoramic view of social, political, and economic change in post-Civil War America by examining its journalism, from coverage of politics and Reconstruction to sensational reporting and images of the American people. The changes in America during this time were so dramatic that they transformed the social structure of the country and the nature of journalism. By the 1870s and 1880s, new kinds of daily newspapers had developed. New Journalism eventually gave rise to Yellow Journalism, resulting in big-city newspapers that were increasingly sensationalistic, entertaining, and designed to attract everyone. The images of the nation’s people as seen through journalistic eyes, from coverage of immigrants to stories about African American "Black fiends" and Native American "savages," tell a vibrant story that will engage scholars and students of history, journalism, and media studies.

"After the War presents a panoramic view of social, political, and economic change in post-Civil War America by examining its journalism, from coverage of politics and Reconstruction to sensational reporting and images of the American people. The changes in America during this time were so dramatic that they transformed the social structure of the country and the nature of journalism. By the 1870s and 1880s, new kinds of daily newspapers had developed. New Journalism eventually gave rise to Yellow Journalism, resulting in big-city newspapers that were increasingly sensationalistic, entertaining, and designed to attract everyone. The images of the nation's people as seen through journalistic eyes, from coverage of immigrants to stories about African American "Black fiends" and Native American "savages," tell a vibrant story that will engage scholars and students of history, journalism, and media studies.?"--Provided by publisher.

The third volume in The History of Journalism series, this work provides an overview of the period from 1833 to 1865 when major journalistic forces evolved within professional circles, reform movements, Southern nationalism, ethnic, religious and racial minorities. The transition from partisan press to commercial journalism, it is argued, was a gradual process that covered the entire popular press era from the founding of the penny newspapers in 1833 through the end of the Civil War in 1865. Newspapers reflected a diverse, multicultural society and numerous reform and partisan groups during the antebellum era. Civil War correspondents created a new power base, the reporter in the field, by occassionally sending reports independent from the views of their commanding officers and employing editors. The relationship between newspapers and the government and political parties remained a complex one, especially during the war when reporters demonstrated their independence if not their objectivity. Scholars and researchers of journalism history and of the American Civil war will appreciate this synthesis of journalism history during an important period in American history. Among the subjects covered are the New York newspaper wars, specialized publications, alternative newspapers, Western newspaper wars, reporters, officers, and soldiers in the field, and reflections on the popular press. A complete list of sources follows a bibliographical overview.