Thursday Open Line


Three important dates in American newspaper history occurred in September. These anniversaries span more than three centuries. On September 15, 1982, USA Today began publishing.  On September 18, 1851, the New York Times issued its first edition. And in September 1690, the first newspaper in America was published in Boston. Called “Public Occurrences, Both Forreign and Domestick,” it lasted for one day in Boston before being shut down by British authorities unhappy with its content. Although the industry is struggling, there are nearly 7,500 publishers of daily, weekly or other periodical newspapers in the U.S., employing over 231,000 people. You can find more facts about America’s people, places and economy, from the American Community Survey, at <www.census.gov>.