Review: The Penny Press & The Civil War

During the Civil War, which technological innovation most helped newspapers gather and distribute breaking news more quickly?

• Radio

• Steam-powered boats

• The telegraph

• The phonograph

Why did newspapers begin publishing special “extras” and frequent updates during the Civil War?

• They were forced by the government to release frequent statements

• Demand for immediate war coverage was extremely high

• They wanted to reduce their overall printing costs

• Many journalists refused to write lengthy articles

Which of the following best describes a key challenge Civil War correspondents faced when reporting from the front lines?

• Lack of training in journalism

• Censorship and the physical danger of battle

• Shortage of newsprint

• Difficulty finding editors willing to publish stories

How did weekly illustrated newspapers influence public perception of the Civil War?

• They mainly featured fictional stories to entertain readers

• They created purely abstract art instead of realistic images

• They provided visual representations that made the war feel more personal

• They withheld images until after the war ended

What were “stereographs,” and why were they significant during the Civil War?

• A brand of telegraph machine used to send coded messages

• Early three-dimensional images that gave viewers a sense of realism

• Satirical cartoons showing political figures of the era

• Secret documents hidden in newspapers to avoid censorship

When illustrating the war, publishers had to consider ethical boundaries. Which of the following summarizes that concern?

• Whether they could make enough money from selling gruesome images

• Balancing honest depictions of war’s brutality with sensitivity to readers

• Avoiding any mention of battle injuries altogether

• Exaggerating scenes of violence for dramatic effect

How did illustrated newspapers such as Harper’s Weekly and Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper contribute to Civil War reporting?

• They replaced all text with illustrations

• They offered both detailed artwork and written accounts of events

• They were only circulated among soldiers

• They never published war-related content

Political cartoons published during the Civil War primarily served which purpose?

• Creating purely humorous drawings unrelated to current events

• Providing detailed battle maps for military strategy

• Shaping public opinion through satire and commentary

• Advertising for war bonds and telegraph companies

Which statement accurately describes how the Civil War accelerated the evolution of mass-circulation daily newspapers?

• Newspapers completely stopped using telegraphs for reporting

• It created a readership that valued rapid, up-to-date information

• Newspaper costs skyrocketed, making them less accessible

• Newspaper distribution declined due to safety concerns

Benjamin Day’s newspaper The Sun was sold at what price when first published, revolutionizing accessibility?

• One penny

• Two pennies

• Three pennies

• Six cents