First Woman Newspaper Editor

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We are going to learn together about History of the Media here!

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Because I found an interesting page of media history, I'll show you!

Her name is Ann Franklin

An franklin (1696-1763), the fisrt American women newspaper editor was the wife of a printer, James Franklin and sister-in-law to Benjamin Frnaklin.  It appears that Ann learned the newspaper business from her husband soon after she had got marry with him in 1723. After James experienced harsh censorship in Boston and served a jail term for the so-cold "wicked" articles he pushed in The New England Courant, James and Ann franklin moved to the more liberal colony of Rhode Island. The couple brought the first printing press to the colony and published its first newspaper, The Rhode Island Gazette. When james died in 1735, at the age of thirty-nine, Ann was left eith five young chldren to support, and she took over the newspaper and printing business. she did many commercial printing jobs in her first year, pinting sermons, advertisements and British novels to supplement her income. In 1736, Ann Franklin petioned the General Assembly of Rhode Island, Requesting printing jobs so that she could support her family. She was awarded the contract, becoming the General Assembly's official printer, a position she held until her death. Franklin also expended her business by compiling and publishing five editons of the profitable Rhode Island Almanack for the years 1737-1741. All of the children worked in the family business. The daughters set type, while James Jr. helped his mother run the business, now called "ann and James Franklin". During this time, however, some of Ann's imprints continued to bear the name "Widow Franklin". In 1745 she undertook her largest commision yet, five h undred copies of a folio edition of the Acts and Laws of Rhode Island. Ann guradually turned over business responsibilities to James Jr., but after the deaths of her remaining children, Ann returned to the printing press at age 65. She hired former son-in-law and printer Samuel Hall as her business partner in 1761, forming "Franklin & Hall", which lasted until her death in Newport in 1763. Ann Franklin, the first woman to write an almanac, was also the first woman inducted into the University of Rhode Island's Journalism Hall of Fame. In 2008 she received the Yankee Quill Award, which recognizes a lifetime contribution toward exellence in journalism in New England Journalists, and administered by the New Engalnd Society of Newspaper Editors. It is considered the highest indivisual honor awarded by fellow journalist in the region.



Referance: http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/ann-smith-franklin-first-woman-printer-rhode-island/