{"id":14446,"date":"2023-04-14T17:13:25","date_gmt":"2023-04-14T16:13:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/?p=14446"},"modified":"2023-04-14T17:13:42","modified_gmt":"2023-04-14T16:13:42","slug":"inquirer-newspaper-managing-editors-statement-that-radio-invention-precedes-newspaper-is-untrue","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/inquirer-newspaper-managing-editors-statement-that-radio-invention-precedes-newspaper-is-untrue\/","title":{"rendered":"Inquirer Newspaper Managing Editor\u2019s statement that radio invention precedes newspaper is untrue!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Claim: The Managing Editor of the Inquirer Newspaper claimed that \u201cradio was the first before newspapers came about.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Verdict: False. A BBC<\/a> report shows the radio was invented in the 1800s, while other credible reports show the first newspaper<\/a> was made in the 1600s.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Full Text<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Managing Editor of the Inquirer Newspaper, Christiana Jimmy, appeared<\/a> as a guest on World Radio Day, on a famous early morning radio show, The OK Morning Rush <\/a>on OK FM in Monrovia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When quizzed by the host<\/a>, Madam Jimmy said, \u201cAs to what extent do you think radio is impacting the world,\u201d she responded, \u201cRadio is impacting the world at a very significant speed.\u201d She added that \u201cradio was the first before newspaper came about.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her response which spanned from 1:41:40-1:41:52, attracted lots of responses from the online and offline audience of the show, given that she and the other guests are popular and influential voices within the Liberian media landscape.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ironically, in the interview, Madam Jimmy cautioned journalists and media practitioners to be careful of what they say on the radio because the medium has a wide reach. She also added that the caution is due to how journalists play an instrumental role in information dissemination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on the comments made by Madam Jimmy, DUBAWA decided to set the records straight on the history of mass communication to discover which of the inventions came first, the radio or newspapers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Verification<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The history of mass communication is a common subject of interest to many journalists, fact-checkers, and mass communicators. Several authorities have written for decades about how the various mass communication technologies have evolved and how each has impacted the generation, as seen here<\/a>, here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hearing Christiana Jimmy say the radio came before the newspaper was curious. DUBAWA contacted Madame Winnie Jimmy, also the Vice President of the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL),) to ask for the source of her claim.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She referenced UKEasy’s July 26, 2021 work \u2018Radio as a Medium of Mass Communication,\u2019 from which she sent screenshots of portions of the work via a messenger chat exchange, among which she specifically highlighted a part that reads: \u201cRadio was the first truly mass medium of communication, reaching millions\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Highlighted screenshot from Madam Jimmy\u00a0<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The UKEssays\u2019 work Madam Jimmy referenced states a disclaimer: “Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com.<\/a>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is radio truly the first mass communication tool to reach millions of people?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It is common knowledge that mass communication started with the introduction of the printing press<\/a>, giving birth to newspapers. Johannes Gutenberg<\/a>, credited with the printing press and newspapers, served several thousand readers even before radio as a medium of mass communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Again, Sutori, a popular US-based website, shows that the first<\/a> newspaper was made in the 1600s. Before the invention of the newspaper, the site furthered the handwritten news sheets circulated widely in Vincennes as early as 1556.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Whereas newspapers emerged in the 1600s, the radio was invented in 1800.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A report from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)<\/a> showed <\/a>that in the early 1860s, the Scottish physicist, James Clerk Maxwell, derived four equations that together describe the behaviour of electricity and magnetism. They predicted the existence of a previously unknown phenomenon: electromagnetic waves. These waves were first observed in the early 1880s, and over the next two decades, a succession of scientists and engineers built increasingly elaborate devices to produce and detect them.\u00a0 Eventually, this gave birth to a new technology: radio.\u00a0 The report further noted that the Italian Guglielmo Marconi is commonly described as the father of radio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the National Inventors Hall of Fame<\/a>, Guglielmo Marconi invented the radio in 1895 and transmitted electrical signals through the air. The experiences were, in effect, the dawn of practical radio.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Checks from the BBC and other sources show that the newspaper was invented in the 1600s. In comparison, the radio came about in the 1800s, and the claim from the Inquirer Newspaper Managing Editor that \u201cradio was the first before newspaper came about\u201d is untrue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201dThe researcher produced this explainer per the DUBAWA 2023 Kwame KariKari Fellowship in partnership with The Stage Media \u2013 Liberia, to facilitate the ethos of \u201ctruth\u201d in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Claim: The Managing Editor of the Inquirer Newspaper claimed that \u201cradio was the first before newspapers came about.\u201d Verdict: False. A BBC report shows the radio was invented in the 1800s, while other credible reports show the first newspaper was made in the 1600s. Full Text The Managing Editor of the Inquirer Newspaper, Christiana Jimmy, appeared as a guest on World Radio Day, on a famous early morning radio show, The OK Morning Rush on OK FM in Monrovia. When quizzed by the host, Madam Jimmy said, \u201cAs to what extent do you think radio is impacting the world,\u201d she responded, \u201cRadio is impacting the world at a very significant speed.\u201d She added that \u201cradio was the first before newspaper came about.\u201d\u00a0 Her response which spanned from 1:41:40-1:41:52, attracted lots of responses from the online and offline audience of the show, given that she and the other guests are popular and influential voices within the Liberian media landscape.\u00a0\u00a0 Ironically, in the interview, Madam Jimmy cautioned journalists and media practitioners to be careful of what they say on the radio because the medium has a wide reach. She also added that the caution is due to how journalists play an instrumental role in information dissemination. Based on the comments made by Madam Jimmy, DUBAWA decided to set the records straight on the history of mass communication to discover which of the inventions came first, the radio or newspapers. Verification The history of mass communication is a common subject of interest to many journalists, fact-checkers, and mass communicators. Several authorities have written for decades about how the various mass communication technologies have evolved and how each has impacted the generation, as seen here, here and here. Hearing Christiana Jimmy say the radio came before the newspaper was curious. DUBAWA contacted Madame Winnie Jimmy, also the Vice President of the Female Journalists Association of Liberia (FeJAL),) to ask for the source of her claim.\u00a0 She referenced UKEasy’s July 26, 2021 work \u2018Radio as a Medium of Mass Communication,\u2019 from which she sent screenshots of portions of the work via a messenger chat exchange, among which she specifically highlighted a part that reads: \u201cRadio was the first truly mass medium of communication, reaching millions\u2019. The UKEssays\u2019 work Madam Jimmy referenced states a disclaimer: “Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UKEssays.com.\u201d Is radio truly the first mass communication tool to reach millions of people? It is common knowledge that mass communication started with the introduction of the printing press, giving birth to newspapers. Johannes Gutenberg, credited with the printing press and newspapers, served several thousand readers even before radio as a medium of mass communication. Again, Sutori, a popular US-based website, shows that the first newspaper was made in the 1600s. Before the invention of the newspaper, the site furthered the handwritten news sheets circulated widely in Vincennes as early as 1556. Whereas newspapers emerged in the 1600s, the radio was invented in 1800. A report from the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) showed that in the early 1860s, the Scottish physicist, James Clerk Maxwell, derived four equations that together describe the behaviour of electricity and magnetism. They predicted the existence of a previously unknown phenomenon: electromagnetic waves. These waves were first observed in the early 1880s, and over the next two decades, a succession of scientists and engineers built increasingly elaborate devices to produce and detect them.\u00a0 Eventually, this gave birth to a new technology: radio.\u00a0 The report further noted that the Italian Guglielmo Marconi is commonly described as the father of radio. According to the National Inventors Hall of Fame, Guglielmo Marconi invented the radio in 1895 and transmitted electrical signals through the air. The experiences were, in effect, the dawn of practical radio. Conclusion Checks from the BBC and other sources show that the newspaper was invented in the 1600s. In comparison, the radio came about in the 1800s, and the claim from the Inquirer Newspaper Managing Editor that \u201cradio was the first before newspaper came about\u201d is untrue. \u201dThe researcher produced this explainer per the DUBAWA 2023 Kwame KariKari Fellowship in partnership with The Stage Media \u2013 Liberia, to facilitate the ethos of \u201ctruth\u201d in journalism and enhance media literacy in the country.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14448,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"hannibal_claim_source":"","hannibal_source_label":"","hannibal_card_color":"blue","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":false,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"","_twitter_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type":"","_pinterest_share_type":"","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"","_medium_share_type":"","_threads_share_type":"","_google_business_share_type":"","_bluesky_share_type":"","_mastodon_share_type":"","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[1571,1960,123],"tags":[],"verdict":[],"ppma_author":[3786],"class_list":["post-14446","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-fact-check","category-liberia","category-mainstream"],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8R6dE-3L0","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":3786,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"gloria-wleh","display_name":"Gloria Wleh","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&r=g","author_category":"","user_url":"","last_name":"","first_name":"","job_title":"","description":""}],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/image-12.png?fit=542%2C683&ssl=1","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14446","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=14446"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14446\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14450,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14446\/revisions\/14450"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14448"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14446"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=14446"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=14446"},{"taxonomy":"verdict","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/verdict?post=14446"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dubawa.org\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=14446"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}