Tabloids of 20s

1. Introduction

   A. The tabloids newspapers of 20s were reflection of frivolous and
   turbulent times

   B. World War I idealism: saving the world for democracy
   

   C. Post-War Cynicism
   

   1. Red Scare
   2. rise of Ku Klux Klan
   3. labor strikes
   4. economic slump
   5. revolution in manners and morals
   6. rebellion of youth
   
   
2. Tabloids in early 20s
   

   New York Daily News (1919)--Joseph Medill Patterson

   A. Difference with New York Times
   

   1. smaller size
   2. different audience
   3. different content and writing style
   • picture paper
   • livelier writing style
   • contests
   • personal columns
   • comics
   • feature and sports coverage
   • editorial page (?)
   
   
3. Ballyhoo Years (Mid 20s)
   

   A. Calmer, more prosperous times

   1. fad a year
   2. hero worship
   
   

   B. Changes in tabloids: circulation war
   

   1. Daily Mirror (W.R. Hearst) and
      Daily Graphic (Bernarr MacFadden)
   • Daily News tops 1.3 million
   
   

   C. Changes in content (Daily News and Daily Mirror)
   

   1. Increased sensationalism
   • little attempt to cover news
   2. Gossip as news
   3. Scandal as news
      • Ruth Snyder
      • Hall-Mills murder case
   
   

   D. Lurid tabloids (Daily Graphic)
   

   --Differences with Daily News

   1. Mission of Graphic: Self-Help
      • stories written by news participants
      • Improve yourself articles
   2. Created stories
   3. Composographs
   4. Confessional writing style
   
   

   How Tabloids Reflected the Period
   

   1. Photography satisfies cynics
      
   2. Sensationalism reflected
      changing morals
   3. lively, brief writing style reflected hurried lifestyle of period
      
   4. contests etc. provided diversions
   
   

   Influences of the tabloids
   

   1. All papers become more feature oriented
      
   2. Boom in photography
      
   3. Large circulation tabloids still around