This book concentrates on the vitriol and vigorous debate between political parties during, and resulting in, the first few Presidential terms of the new nation, culminating in the “newspaper wars” of the 1790s.
The willingness of papers to present dialog on issues of the day gave birth to a knowledgeable electorate, even as circulation spread to more Americans than were yet able to vote. There was plenty of audience for cheap shots, too, and “tabloid” mudslinging was raised to an art form. Memories of this period brought about reforms decades later, as news media renewed commitment to impartiality.
