Publishing Pioneers: Describe the Contributions of Two Early Colonial American Women

In America's early history, newspapers were very influential and powerful medium. This was due to the fact their publication was the only form of mass communication besides books. However, as opposed to books, newspapers could print timely and current information. Therefore, whatever was printed was not only able to reach a large number of people and keep them informed about current events, but also sway their opinion depending on the manner in which the piece was written. As a result, newspaper publishers were powerful considering that they control the information that get printed. Considering that during the time colonial time period women utterly lacked control and power in American society, I found it surprising that several women, like Anna Zenger and Elizabeth Timothy, managed have any kind of role in newspaper publishing. Nevertheless, both women were only able to break in to the industry due to their husbands unfortunate demises. For Anna Zenger, she began working as a publisher for her husband's newspapers, The New York Weekly Journal, after he was arrested for "printing false and seditious writing" (Biagi 54). She must have been a brave a determined woman to continue printing after what to her husband just for writing the truth about a public official. On the other hand, Elizabeth Timothy publishing career began after the death of her husband, the founder of the South Carolina Gazette. She actually wrote her first article under her thirteen-year-old sons' name because she knew it was the only way her work would be respected and taken seriously. Her first article reflected her own struggles as a poor widow with children and the need for help the community. Both women were pioneers in the male-dominated newspaper publication and their efforts should be respected.


Biagi, Shirley. Media/impact: An Introduction to Mass Media. Boston, MA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. Print.