Description
Officially approved French periodicals of the 18th century are all too easily dismissed as timid unchanging monoliths which listed nothing but ceremonial and protocol or catered for the restricted interests of a small literary elite. To counteract this, the evolution of general news coverage is described in detail here, following developments in taste and at times even risking official disapproval. Illustrates the practical difficulties of publishing news under the Old Regime and the long-term habits to which this gave rise. Uses contemporary sources to clear up misconceptions and most importantly to serve as a guide to what was expected of the press at the time and after. In order to reveal what was often missing in papers published in France, coverage of things French in the foreign press at three token periods during the century is included. The epilogue shows how officialdom in France would continue up to the 20th century to react instinctively in ways already seen under the Ancien Regime. As an Appendix a statistical analysis of part of the contents of the Gazette shows the distribution and speed of news gathering and the growth of the love of miscellaneous non-official news items. A thematic as well as a general index is also included.
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