Democracy and the Media

Learn more

• Learn more about American history, democracy, journalism, media, and North Carolina.

Legal

The media has been a “method of communication between the government and its constituents” since the infancy of our country. As Americans, we take for granted the ability to keep tabs on what is happening in our local, state, and federal government. This site looks at the “role the media has played in the political process” over the years through primary sources found in the North Carolina State Archives.

Click on the arrows at either end of the timeline to navigate through the site. Thumbnail pictures, located at the top of each section, take the viewer to in-depth information with images of primary source documents including newspaper clippings, political cartoons, letters, drawings, and photographs.

Begin with Early Media: Regulators and the Revolution to learn about unfair representation in the colony of North Carolina and the Battle of Alamance which crushed the rebellion of the Regulators. Then find out about the women of Edenton and their famous Tea Party.

The Election of 1828, Mudslinging and Party Papers section discusses the importance of the newspaper in the politics of the time. “Newspapers became aligned with political parties and actually formed the basic structure of parties before their were permanent party organizations.”

Picturing the News: Illustrated Papers 1860-1880 shows how the use of wood engravings became important in relating the news. The newspaper was very important during the Civil War. In the late 1800s the newspaper industry became very competitive and editors would print salacious items to attract readers. Learn more about this and the War with Spain in the Yellow Journalism and White Supremacy section.

In the 20th century radio became the way most Americans got news about World War II. The film industry also became instrumental in getting information to citizens. In the section Democracy at War, you can watch videos that were created as a public service to protect citizens during the war. At this time, censorship of the media was an issue of national security. In the 1960s, television became influential in politics. In the Image is Everything section, the viewer can watch videos of television broadcasts and listen to campaign advertising for Terry Sanford, Governor of North Carolina.

The last section looks at the Internet and politics. During the 2004 election, the Internet became influential in political campaigning and today, blogs, “You Tube” and other social networking Websites will become important to the political process.