Throughout its history,
The Providence Journal has kept its pledge to serve as "a faithful reporter of the passing news" with constant innovation in gathering
and disseminating information in Rhode Island
and southeastern Massachusetts.
The
Journal is America's
oldest daily newspaper in continuous publication, founded in 1829. That year,
the newspaper relied on the Pony Express to expedite the publication of the
full text of Andrew Jackson's State of the Union address.
If someone asked when we started the "news blog," one would be tempted to
answer "1863." That was the year the Journal launched an afternoon
newspaper, The Evening Bulletin, to bring Rhode Island
the news from the front in the Civil War.
The front page of the very first Bulletin reflects the quest for speed, and the
challenge of putting ink on paper. The display technique of the day was a
precursor of the Web "time stamp." These headlines all appeared on the same
front page:
-
First Edition ... Rumor that the Army of the Potomac is
to be Broken Up and Most of the Troops Sent West ...
-
Postscript ... Two O'Clock ... Burnside
Resigned ... Hooker Appointed His Successor ...
-
Second Edition ... Three O’Clock ...
Resignation of General Burnside Confirmed ...
-
Third Edition ... Five O'Clock ... Gen.
Burnside's Farewell to Our Troops
The year 1995 was pivotal in Journal history: The company ceased publication of the Bulletin, and launched its first online news service.
The news blog concept grew out of conversations we had in 2005 about the new
directions for projo.com. There were some of our bearings:
-
Implicit in the brand of a newspaper Web site is the
contract
for news -- and news implies
speed and urgency.
- Implicit in the brand of The Providence Journal is the contract for accuracy --
and that must be preserved.
- The Web technology empowers print journalists to be as fast as we have always
yearned to be.
- We can leverage the strength of our reporting and photography staffs to report
breaking news while preserving an environment of authentic, comprehensive and
enterprising journalism.
- Changes or improvements to the projo.com site must be dramatic so the audience
can appreciate the added value.
