In England the birth of newspapers is linked to the birth of the coffee house. The coffee house was a place where people met and talked about the latest gossip and trends while drinking a cup of the Turkish drink.
Coffee houses became popular among middle and aristocratic classes because they could discuss politics and philosophy. Women could not enter coffee houses. The monarchy didn’t see these places positively and in 1675, king Charles II decided to close them. But people disagreed and by the middle of the 18th century there were around 500 coffee houses in London. Thanks to coffee houses information spread quickly and newspapers began circulating widely.
Addison and Steele founded two newspapers, the Spectator and the Tatler and their success was incredible. So they started putting advertisements inside.They cost two pence to buy but were free to read for anyone who paid the penny admission fee to enter a coffee house. In March 1713 The Guardian was launched as a successor to The Spectator.
The influence of Addison and Steele in the history of journalism continues today. Although their original newspapers The Tatler, The Spectator and The Guardian are now long gone, their names are all used today by other publications.
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