Addison And Steele Predecessors To Modern Media Media Essay

Addison And Steele Predecessors To Modern Media Media Essay news media is generally recognized as, the collection, preparation, and distri unlession of intelligence and related commentary . . . through such media as pamphlets, countersignletters, virginspapers and other electronic media.(11, n. pag.) Even though modern journalism focuses mainly on the spic-and-spans and current events, it does non necessarily have to be restricted to this current subject. Joseph Addison and Sir Richard Steele were 18th century writers and they have employed journalism in some(prenominal) a nonher(prenominal) of their belles-lettres. (11, n. pag.) The most fashionable example is The spectator pump which was one of the most popular pieces of literature written by them. However, they were non necessarily the archetypal journalists, or to employ journalism in their writings. Although Addison and Steele were not the first journalists they still exemplified qualities and similarities of journ alism in their literary compute.Joseph Addison (1672-1719) was an English writer and politician. (13, n. pag.) His literary c beer un indecisionable alongside his political c atomic number 18er. (1, 15) Despite his political c arer, He preferred to be a man of letters kind of than a man of affairs. (3, 46) As a writer Addison wrote many types of literature which included poems, prose and essays which besides included many hebdomadal essays. (13, n. pag.) If it were not for his essays, Addisons literary reputation would be insignificant. (3, 46) Addisons character was that he was curious and observant, was affiliated to a virtuous character, a love of his fellow-men, a reverence for antiquity, and a keen sense of humour. (xiii -xiv) He finds human characteristics, conduct, thoughts and feelings to be interesting. (6, xxii) He also found interesting to contrast a, mans infinite capacities of greatness with his infinite capacities of littleness. (6, xxii) This means that he found comparing humans dexterity to do well-behaved and to do wrong interesting. (6, xxii)What makes Addison such a good writer is that he employs several techniques in addition to his honed writing skills. When he is writing he, unobtrusively avoids hammering away at the same theme, for he would think it both bad taste and bad policy to exercise his hearers. (4, 278) He also, is averse from all exaggeration he uses neither hyperbolic phrase nor dramatic gesture he is readier to praise than to find fault. (4, 278) Addison is also a, master of the art of quickening and holding attention. Once you have started for a stroll with him as your companion, you follow his lead to the end, enchanted by the ravisher and variety of the scenes through which he takes you. . . . (4, 273) When he wrote prose one may chance upon it as, so natural its art, that its occasional lapse into an insouciance reveals a square gentlemanly decorum rather than the frigidly inhuman and geometrical correctness . . . . (7, x) As Addison grew more popular with his writings his auditory modality also grew in size. He utilized this opportunity, to introduce a big circle of readers to such subjects as the criticism of tragedy, true and false wit, recommendations of ballad simplicity, and the honourableity or lousiness of distinguishdy. (3, 49) What also made him a unique author was that, In parcel of pressing political crisis, when other men were angry and bitter, he shows his best qualities he is extremely amusing, and reasonable and constructive too. (3, 51) As his auditory modality grew he thought that he had an obligation to educate them and to crop some new knowledge into their lives, in which he mentions, Since I have raised to myself so great an audience, I shall spare no pains to make their culture agreeable, and their diversion useful, for which reasons I shall endeavour, to enliven morality with wit, and to temper wit with morality. . . . (4, 275) He construes this idea b ecause, he is deeply alarmed . . . at the relaxation of all moral standards that prevail among his fellow-citizens equal them Addison believes that this state of affairs cannot continue without danger and dishonor. (4, 275) Addison employ all, if not most of these techniques in his writings, which included The Spectator. He joined in concert with his lifelong friend Sir Richard Steele and they both wrote The Spectator which became the forerunner to the modern twenty-four hour period newspaper. (2, 1911) (2, 1912)Sir Richard Steele (1672-1729) was English essayist, journalist, and politician who was born in Ireland. He is best cognize for his work with Joseph Addison on The Spectator. (14) He actively entered politics from 1707-1710 and began to write monthly essays with Addison, which first included The Tatler and then The Spectator. (14) (2, 1911) Steele, like Addison, had similar goals in his literary works. His works were unique because he, preached in a supple and precise s tyle, that was crank and penetrating. (2, 1912) He, wrote on subjects from describing London and of life in the country to articles on dueling and question of immortality, preached the gospel of reformed gentility and true gentle manliness to rebut the artificial elegance. (2, 1912) Like Addison, Steele tried to reform society by providing new and important information and to pile in order to educate them. He, ardently desired to stop all the men and women whom he saw most him from falling into the snares of folly and vice. . . . (8, xii) This was one of the few goals of his literary work, which included The Spectator.The Spectator was a periodical that ran from 1711 to 1712. Even though The Spectator was a periodical and that Addison and Steele were journalists, the writings themselves, show few signs of journalisms interest in news, and indeed on the whole they avoided it. (3, 47) In which Addison confirms the notion by saying that, My paper has not in it a single word of news , a reflection in politics, nor a stroke of party so on the other, there are no fashionable touches of infidelity, no obscene ideas, no satire upon priesthood, marriages, and the like popular topics of ridicule no private scandal, nor anything that may tend to the traducement of particular persons, families, or societies. (10, 248) Through his writing of The Spectator, Addison neither insulted nor condemned anyone, whether of Right or Left. He excluded not only party politics from his paper but also partisan and sectarian morality. . . . (4, 277) This idea of Addison and Steele wanting to publish a work of literature without bias showed that they wanted to have literary work could be applicable to all kinds of people. (4, 277) However, the true habit of The Spectator was, to bring philosophy out of the closets and libraries, schools and colleges, to dwell in clubs and assemblies, at tea tables and in coffee-houses. (7, xiii) Addison devoted himself to the teaching of people. (4 , 310) In other words, Addison and Steele wanted to bring raising to the common people, through their literary work. (7, xiii) The Spectator had no specific audience to which it catered to. Addison and Steele meant its main audience to include all kinds of people, it did not matter whether a person was male or female, or their political stance. (4, 266)Media straight off has come a long way since the times of Addison and Steele. However, some main aspects are similarly displayed. First of all, the role of the media is to educate people on current events, news and to provide people with entertainment. Addison and Steele also expressed this information in some of their literary works. However, the media today is more focused more on sensationalism, which is the use of, startling or thrilling impressions used to excite an audience and to increase viewership. (15, n. pag.) Addisons and Steeles goals were to educate through their media, not to gain a bigger audience for the purpose of popularity. (4, 310) Modern media does encourage spectatorship, but maybe not in the way as Addison envisioned it. Today, media encourages spectatorship, but through unlike means than Addison and Steele had done. For example, media today gaps many entertainment shows and programs that are based on reality, that are called reality shows. These shows supposedly focus on the reality of things and offer spectatorship to the viewers. However, these reality shows do not necessarily focus on educating people and some of these shows do not have any intellectual value. They chiefly focus on providing entertainment to the masses and are rated on popularity rather than on intellectual merit. Journalism, since the time of Addison and Steele, has also suffered due to this shift in medias priorities. Journalism also encourages spectatorship, but differently than Addison and Steele had done with their journalistic works. Journalism today still does focus on news and current events, but sometime s it focuses more on sensationalism in politics, current events and celebrities in order to gain a larger audience. Some media that focus on the news and current events sometimes tend to show bias. Addison and Steele almost did the polar of what modern media is doing in the present. They focused on bring information and education to the masses through their journalistic work, and they did not care whether they had a large audience or not, that is why they did not use sensationalism in their work. They also did not include politics in some of their writings to avoid bias. Even though a lot of the modern media has changed, that involves more of the use of sensationalism it does not represent all mainstream media. There are still some media that stay true to the purpose of media, which Addison and Steele exemplified in their literary work.Journalism primarily provides access to people about the news, current events, and commentary. Its purpose is to educate of the unknown. Addison and Steele through their qualities and their writing styles brought truth to the purpose of journalism. Although they were not the first journalists they still exemplified qualities and similarities of journalism in their literary work. There were many to begin with them that developed the writing styles that they had used. The Spectator is a perfect example of Addisons and Steeles journalistic writing styles. It exemplifies the intent and purpose of journalism and did not discriminate against on whether someone could read it or not, it was a piece of literature that was intend for everybody. Today, modern media does promote spectatorship, but not necessarily in the ship canal Addison has defined or had intended it to be. It has strayed slightly from its original purpose. The modern media today focuses more so on sensationalistic ideas and events than on providing educational information. It does this in order to gain a large audience and in succumb receive a bigger financial paychec k. Even though not all media is like this it still makes one question the integrity of media that has progressed and changed end-to-end the years. This is why we have to reevaluate our system of the media to focus less on sensationalism and more on education like Addison and Steele did.