Burning Gotham Teaser 004: The Penny Press War

It’s the Spring of 1835. We’re at the offices of The New York Sun, published by Benjamin Day and edited by George Wisner. When the Sun launched in 1833, it became New York’s first successful one-cent newspaper. 

Prior to the Sun’s launch, the most widely-read city papers were the Courier and Enquirer, Evening Post, Evening Star, and Commercial Advertiser. The City’s eleven merchant papers had a combined circulation of only 26,500. All were produced within a few blocks of each other near Wall Street, William and Nassau. The papers covered foreign affairs, Washington dealings, and little of local culture. 

But, by 1833 as New York City’s population soared passed two-hundred thousand, you’d have heard English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and any number of other foreign languages on the streets of New York. These six-cent merchant papers were missing an opportunity, and Benjamin Day stepped in. 

The New York Sun was dramatically different. It was smaller in size, and just below the nameplate was the price: ONE PENNY.

Many of the reports on tariffs and trade politics were replaced by stories littered with sex, romance, intrigue, violence, and death. The Sun’s daily circulation soon reached over ten thousand.

Then an old rival, James Gordon Bennett, launched a new penny paper—The New York Morning Herald—and his readership was catching up.

Benjamin Day needed help. He wanted an editor capable of captivating the entire city, and changing the literary landscape in New York forever.

With a well-timed hire, and a well-timed fire, Benjamin Day will get his wish.

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Coming soon to your favorite podcast app, Burning Gotham, the new scripted audio fiction set in 1835 New York City. Subscribe everywhere you get your podcasts by searching for Burning Gotham, or go to BurningGotham.com.