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Reflection Entry #1 - First Newspapers


    Roughly 327 years ago, a Boston printer by the name of Benjamin Harris produced the first issue of Publick Occurrences: the first newspaper of Britain's North American Colonies. Fast forward to the present, and the news is everywhere. It's all over the place, whether it be on social media, television, and can even be found at your local grocery stores. While the media may not be held in the same regard as it was in the 17th century, it definitely has changed for the better.

      In 1690, "no person [was to] keep any printing-press for printing, nor [was] any book, pamphlet or other matter whatsoever" to be printed without the governor's "special leave and license first obtained. Basically, it was illegal to publish anything without the governments' approval, something Harris hadn't obtained. The people were ecstatic to have an outlet from which they could acquire the news; the governor, not so much. Within days, the governor and council had banned the publication of the paper and believed they had collected and burned every existing copy of the newspaper. They were wrong. Unlike the 17th century, almost anyone can publish anything (like how I am, now with blogger). The first newspapers also had a rather bland appearance, and obviously couldn't have any pictures, where shorter, and had much less freedom. 

      Because of their criticism of the government, Publick Occurrences was shut down. I for one am glad that the government (or at least our government) doesn't have this power anymore because they could more easily cover up anything and everything that they do. If the press were not allowed to criticize the government, the public would never learn of any of their wrongdoings, and the government could more easily propagandize their political party with little opposition. 
   
     Today, many newspapers both online and offline openly criticize and bash the government. 300 years ago, they would have been shut down immediately; why not now? In 1982, Freedom of the Press was enshrined, along with the adoption of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The charter explicitly states that we all have the right to “freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media of communication.” It is because of this that we can freely bash the government, businesses, etc. without the worry of prosecution (assuming you were truthful in your reports).

      It wasn't surprising to learn that the first Canadian newspaper was in Halifax, given a number of people flocking to the "New World", starting new lives, etc. Nova Scotia also was a larger province at the time, and people may have wanted to hear of news from across the province, as well as overseas. 

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