th dispatch, “The Civil War was of decisive importance in developing the techniques of modern war correspondence. It was this struggle that the transmission of news by telegraph first occurred on a large scale. During the first two years the leading New York newspaper averaged annually from $60,000 to $100,000 for this purpose. Between 1861 and 1865 the Herald alone spent more than $500,000 for newsgathering at the front” (Andrews, 1955: viii).
This analysis will explore the media coverage during the American Civil War from a multitude of perspectives. Initially, it will assess the International coverage generated by the conflict, and how this coverage was often a reflection of British government and society perceptions as opposed to American realities. Various British journalists and newspapers will be explored to portray the international perspective on American Civil War coverage. Once this perception is shaped fully, the perspective of the American Civil War as portrayed by both Northern and Southern U.S. reporters will be rendered. With these perspectives in tow, the individual perspective of one Civil War correspondent, Thomas Morris Chester, will be introduced from an assessment of his personal reports from the field. Throughout the analysis, the relationship between the media, society, politics and economics will be highlighted. Finally, a conclusion will summarize the main points of the analysis, as well as offering insight into the role played by the media and its affects on the development and outcome of the American Civil War.
A nation that would surely fall was of great interest to British leaders, and, subsequently, the British media-especially when that nation was a former adversary like the United States. The Civil War represented to a large degree British beliefs that the new nation would not succeed under its unique form of government. Nonetheless, despite all the areas of disagreement between th...