News and Politics in Early Modern Europe: 1500-1800

This volume presents thirteen contributions relating to various aspects of the relationship between news and politics in early modern Europe. A growing range of printed news media started interacting during this period, affecting the political culture of the time. This is clearly illustrated by the contents of this volume. In addition to oral and written forms of news distribution, all sorts of printed pamphlets, newspapers, news books and other periodicals examining the widely varying facets of the interaction between news and politics are presented. There are various other sources which also shed light on this interaction, such as the memoirs of politicians, festival books, political songs and theatre texts. These sources, drawn on by the history of the press to a lesser degree, are discussed in connection with questions about propaganda, censorship, the formation of public opinion, news suppliers and political networks. The essays offer a stimulating overview of the changes and continuity in this field.