Technological progress and the beginnings of a global public sphere

Telegraphy played a major role in transnational journalism history. It not only shaped the way how news was written, it also enabled faster news transmission over greater distances. But as an ever-expanding telegraphic network facilitated faster communication over greater distances, the cost of such technology made it necessary for journalists to reduce their reports to a minimum. However, what journalists lost in depth they made up for in more regular and more up to date dispatches, usually from the frontlines of war. Additionally, the telegraph was a key element in geopolitical strategies that had an impact on transnational news circulation and international news coverage. This chapter explores the impact electric telegraphy had on the circulation of information, its role in the beginnings of a global public sphere, and its contribution to transnational journalism.