Periodical foreign news printed in London in the early seventeenth century

This thesis explores printed periodical news coverage of the Thirty Years’ War, its readership and impact. It sets the media in its context in Chapter 1 by considering the scope and constraints of methods of communicating contemporary events in the early seventeenth century and the way the start of the war was reported. Chapter 2 provides the European press news context and explores the material that became available in London, its scope, strengths and weaknesses as a source of information, and its growth as the war progressed. Chapter 3 shows how English periodical news coverage began in the Netherlands, was taken up in London and its legitimacy established. This assesses the array of evidence and previous bibliographical dispute over the earliest corantos and newsbooks to provide an explanation of what happened, while Chapter 4 expands upon the theme of the pivotal role of publishers. This explores the London trade, the size of prints and distribution network to establish the scale, financial viability and reach of the trade. Chapters 5 and 6 consider the impact of news coverage through explorations of the relationship of editors with their readers, particularly in years of heightened interest in the early 1620s and 30s, and of relationships with the authorities from 1622 until the mid 1640s when John Dillingham established The Moderate Intelligencer. These chapters show how increasing literacy, licensing, unfolding diplomatic relations, and Crown policy influenced the content of newsbooks and contributed to the development of public opinion.