HOW WAS The California Gold Rush America's first large-scale media event?
In stating that the California Gold Rush was the first large scale media event of the United States, Brian Roberts means that the California Gold Rush was the story of many newspapers across America for a long time. Starting in San Francisco, it was the main story on the west and east coasts for two years. The role of media in the expansion of the United States was to encourage people to go to the western United States by advertising the opportunities available with some exaggeration. Also, the newspapers did not report on failings, because it would discourage people from going there. People who joined the California Gold Rush went into it with no doubt they were going to “strike it rich” because of the newspaper stories.
Newspapers characterized California as a place of extreme abundance. California gold grease was advertised as a grease that , once applied literally to the body, will cause gold to stick to you. It was advertised that you could just apply it to your body and roll down the mountain and then at the bottom just clean yourself up, and you would be a rich person. The newspapers said it would take 100,000 men 10 years to mine all gold in California. They also said that one carpenter from Missouri mined more gold in six months than a mule could pack. A newspaper called the “Plymouth Rock” said that people could get rich quick in California. Another newspaper said that getting $2000 was certain, $20,000 was probable, and $100,000 was possible.
I see parallels in today’s media and political events. Newspapers exaggerated the situation more, much like they do now. An example of exaggeration in the media is the over-reporting of the “selfie” President Obama took while at a memorial for Nelson Mandela. Before the California Gold Rush, the newspapers were mainly lots of reporting and there was only some exaggeration. During the California Gold Rush, penny newspapers were all about selling papers and who has the best headline, not necessarily about true facts. The penny press was a cheap “source" of news. After the California Gold Rush, newspapers began to create the news. The newspapers were telling the people what to think and not telling all parts of a story.
Isaak D.
Sources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp_cgiHBX1Q
I see parallels in today’s media and political events. Newspapers exaggerated the situation more, much like they do now. An example of exaggeration in the media is the over-reporting of the “selfie” President Obama took while at a memorial for Nelson Mandela. Before the California Gold Rush, the newspapers were mainly lots of reporting and there was only some exaggeration. During the California Gold Rush, penny newspapers were all about selling papers and who has the best headline, not necessarily about true facts. The penny press was a cheap “source" of news. After the California Gold Rush, newspapers began to create the news. The newspapers were telling the people what to think and not telling all parts of a story.
Isaak D.
Sources:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vp_cgiHBX1Q