Photos by Chris Faraone
Here’s a superlative and honor that is not up for debate: Boston is the Birthplace of American Journalism. If there ever was any question about where the craft started, the Society of Professional Journalists effectively put doubts to bed last week with a presentation downtown. The Dig was proud to be there for the ceremony, in which SPJ members declared this whole metropolis a Historic Site in Journalism. It’s the first time the society has ever given an entire city the honor; typically, they only salute one site at a time. Like us, Mayor Marty Walsh was flattered by the gesture, and even said that he may hang the plaque inside the entrance of City Hall. Until then, here are some of the milestones mentioned (as they are embossed in bronze) …
Boston is where:
-five of the first seven newspapers in North America were published, starting with Publick Occurrences on September 25, 1690;
-a woman first edited a major American daily newspaper (The Christian Science Monitor, 1908), and a woman first edited a magazine (Ladies’ Magazine, 1827);
-the country’s most important abolitionist newspaper was headquartered (The Liberator, 1831) and the first African-American female journalist worked;
-the first journals for women (Women’s Journal, 1870) and African American women (Woman’s Era, 1890) were published and the first all-female radio station operated (WASN, 1927);
-journalists uncovered the “Ponzi Scheme” (Boston Post) and coined the term “gerrymandering” (Boston Gazette);
-the world’s first news-carrying pigeon service was established (The Boston Daily Mail, 1847)
Dig Staff means this article was a collaborative effort. Teamwork, as we like to call it.
