ABSTRACT
British journalism underwent a dramatic series of changes during the nineteenth century that led to the creation of a mass circulation press. The shift from a traditional form of journalism with a limited circulation to a daily and Sunday press encompassing millions of readers is one of the significant events of the century. It solidified the integration of newspapers into the cultural and social life of Britain and introduced many of the features of modern journalism with which we are familiar today. It transformed the publication of newspapers from a series of small-scale commercial undertakings into corporative financial structures that served the reading needs of a large portion of the population. The rise of mass circulation journalism has engendered many important questions about literature, politics, culture and economics, as well as issues regarding the purpose and nature of the popular press and the extent to which it has been a force for good or ill in the lives of millions of readers.
