История письма и чтения. Асафова Г.К. - 92 стр.

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In England the publication of news was regarded as an interference with the

affairs of the state and was not allowed without royal permission. For foreign news

people had to turn to the so-called newsbooks, or Corantos, that were exported

from the Netherlands to England, having been translated into English first. The

first of these arrived in 1620, but soon English publishers began to produce their

own versions. Only a year later, Thomas Archer, a London stationer, printed

translations of foreign news in England’s first regular publication, Cjranter or

Weekly News from Italy, Germany, Hungarie, Spain and France.

Other newsbooks followed, but in 1632 they were all banned by the Court of

Star Chamber – a royal court which protected the security of the state – after a

news item had offended both the Spanish and Austrian ambassadors. The ban

lasted until 1638 when, for the first time, parliament allowed the publication of

domestic political news.

During the Civil War (1642-9) an average of ten newsbooks appeared each

week. News of the dramatic clashes between the Cavaliers and Roundheads was

spread throughout the country by partisan publishers.

Daily newspapers appeared from the beginning of the 18

century. The first

of these, The Daily Courant, published between 1702 and 1735, cost a penny. The

news was printed in two columns on one side of a sheet. At the same time, some of

the Britain’s finest periodicals first appeared.

Taxed and banned, but never silenced

Despite the increasing numbers of journals, the government continued to

restrict access to news, particularly of home politics. In 1712, a stamp tax added a

penny per sheet to the price of newspapers, making them too dear for most people.

However London’s coffee houses – the popular meeting places for businessmen –

displayed papers which the customers could read free.

In 1738, the House of Commons passed a law forbidding the publication of

parliamentary reports; it remained in force until 1771 when the radical publisher