![On This Day in Pittsburgh History: April 16, 1987
The Pittsburgh Press won its second straight Pulitzer Prize for public service by revealing the inadequacy of the Federal Aviation Administration’s medical screening of airline pilots. The series by Andrew Schneider and Matthew Brelis led to significant reforms. [The Pittsburgh Press]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1wsvj5TLX1qakblyo1_r1_500.png)
On This Day in Pittsburgh History: April 16, 1987
The Pittsburgh Press won its second straight Pulitzer Prize for public service by revealing the inadequacy of the Federal Aviation Administration’s medical screening of airline pilots. The series by Andrew Schneider and Matthew Brelis led to significant reforms. [The Pittsburgh Press]
On This Day in Pittsburgh History: April 1, 1954
WQED, PBS channel 13, begins broadcasting as the first community-sponsored television station in the nation, and the city’s fifth TV station. [Wikipedia; Penn State University]
![Advertisement for The Pittsburgh Dispatch, 1876 (wiki)
On This Day in Pittsburgh History: February 8, 1846
The Pittsburgh Dispatch, the first successful penny newspaper west of the Alleghenies, was founded by Colonel J. Herron Foster. [Historic Pittsburgh]
Excerpted from “Pittsburgh: How To See It,” published in 1916:
The Pittsburgh Dispatch is the third oldest paper in Pittsburgh and has been a daily from its beginning, February 8, 1846, and prosperous and profitable from the start. It was founded by J. Herron Foster, a member of a distinguished family of Western Pennsylvania, radical and aggressive in his opposition to human slavery and determined to use every proper weapon to effect the removal of the curse and stigma from the people of America. The City of Pittsburgh, April 10, 1845, had been devastated by a great fire and all forms of business were still suffering by reason of that calamity when Mr. Foster began the publication of The Dispatch. It was a small sheet but was well received because teeming with good cheer good hope and lofty purposes.
The Pittsburgh Dispatch ceased publication in 1923. More facts about the newspaper:
From “The History of Pittsburgh, Its Rise and Progress” (1906): “In 1849 … the first step of the new partners on taking charge was to enlarge the paper which was then half its present size It was a bold move but contrary to the predictions of many of its friends it proved a great success and in the two years following enlargements were necessitated by the growth of circulation and advertising patronage.”
Bold editorial choices included the placing of correspondents in Washington offices to diversify coverage and remain competitive when other newspapers were printing Associated Press newswires headlines on their front pages.
Nellie Bly, one of the first female journalists in America, got her start at the newspaper. According to her bio:
When Pink [Bly’s nickname] was 18 years old she wrote an anonymous letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Dispatch in response to a sexist editorial by the “Quiet Observer,” Erasmus Wilson. George Madden, managing editor of the Dispatch was so impressed by the letter, signed “Lonely Orphan Girl,” that he placed an ad in the Sunday paper asking that she introduce herself. The following day, Pink climbed the four stories to the offices of the Pittsburgh Dispatch and landed her first job as a journalist. Pink’s first article was a rebuttlal to Wilson’s sexist piece on the “women’s sphere.” Although Madden thought her grammar less than perfect, he asked for a second piece. When Madden decided to make Pink a permanent member of his staff, he needed to come up with a pen name for her, as it was quite improper for a woman to write for a newspaper and make her identity known to the public. After several suggestions from the newsroom workers, Madden chose Nellie Bly, the title character in the song “Nelly Bly” written 35 years earlier by Stephen Collins Foster, one of Pittsburgh’s own. Nellie focused her attention on women’s rights issues. She was the inventor of investigative reporting and an expert at under-cover work. She posed as a poor sweatshop worker to expose the cruelty and dire conditions under which women toiled. When shop owners threatened to pull their advertising from the Dispatch, Nellie was put on the fashion beat. She responded to her new assignment by taking a six-month working vacation in Mexico. She continued to write articles for the paper, which focused on poverty and political corruption in Mexico. Eventually the articles got her ejected from the country by its government. [CUNY]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyq9zvbp8D1qakblyo1_500.jpg)
Advertisement for The Pittsburgh Dispatch, 1876 (wiki)
On This Day in Pittsburgh History: February 8, 1846
The Pittsburgh Dispatch, the first successful penny newspaper west of the Alleghenies, was founded by Colonel J. Herron Foster. [Historic Pittsburgh]
Excerpted from “Pittsburgh: How To See It,” published in 1916:
The Pittsburgh Dispatch is the third oldest paper in Pittsburgh and has been a daily from its beginning, February 8, 1846, and prosperous and profitable from the start. It was founded by J. Herron Foster, a member of a distinguished family of Western Pennsylvania, radical and aggressive in his opposition to human slavery and determined to use every proper weapon to effect the removal of the curse and stigma from the people of America. The City of Pittsburgh, April 10, 1845, had been devastated by a great fire and all forms of business were still suffering by reason of that calamity when Mr. Foster began the publication of The Dispatch. It was a small sheet but was well received because teeming with good cheer good hope and lofty purposes.
The Pittsburgh Dispatch ceased publication in 1923. More facts about the newspaper:
- From “The History of Pittsburgh, Its Rise and Progress” (1906): “In 1849 … the first step of the new partners on taking charge was to enlarge the paper which was then half its present size It was a bold move but contrary to the predictions of many of its friends it proved a great success and in the two years following enlargements were necessitated by the growth of circulation and advertising patronage.”
- Bold editorial choices included the placing of correspondents in Washington offices to diversify coverage and remain competitive when other newspapers were printing Associated Press newswires headlines on their front pages.
- Nellie Bly, one of the first female journalists in America, got her start at the newspaper. According to her bio:
When Pink [Bly’s nickname] was 18 years old she wrote an anonymous letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Dispatch in response to a sexist editorial by the “Quiet Observer,” Erasmus Wilson. George Madden, managing editor of the Dispatch was so impressed by the letter, signed “Lonely Orphan Girl,” that he placed an ad in the Sunday paper asking that she introduce herself. The following day, Pink climbed the four stories to the offices of the Pittsburgh Dispatch and landed her first job as a journalist. Pink’s first article was a rebuttlal to Wilson’s sexist piece on the “women’s sphere.” Although Madden thought her grammar less than perfect, he asked for a second piece. When Madden decided to make Pink a permanent member of his staff, he needed to come up with a pen name for her, as it was quite improper for a woman to write for a newspaper and make her identity known to the public. After several suggestions from the newsroom workers, Madden chose Nellie Bly, the title character in the song “Nelly Bly” written 35 years earlier by Stephen Collins Foster, one of Pittsburgh’s own. Nellie focused her attention on women’s rights issues. She was the inventor of investigative reporting and an expert at under-cover work. She posed as a poor sweatshop worker to expose the cruelty and dire conditions under which women toiled. When shop owners threatened to pull their advertising from the Dispatch, Nellie was put on the fashion beat. She responded to her new assignment by taking a six-month working vacation in Mexico. She continued to write articles for the paper, which focused on poverty and political corruption in Mexico. Eventually the articles got her ejected from the country by its government. [CUNY]
![On This Day in Pittsburgh History: January 25, 1890
Journalist and Pittsburgh native Nellie Bly completed her trip around the globe in 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes. [Historic Pittsburgh; Wikipedia]](http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_ly1wnaOY4W1qakblyo1_500.png)
On This Day in Pittsburgh History: January 25, 1890
Journalist and Pittsburgh native Nellie Bly completed her trip around the globe in 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes. [Historic Pittsburgh; Wikipedia]
![On This Day in Pittsburgh History: April 16, 1987
The Pittsburgh Press won its second straight Pulitzer Prize for public service by revealing the inadequacy of the Federal Aviation Administration’s medical screening of airline pilots. The series by Andrew Schneider and Matthew Brelis led to significant reforms. [The Pittsburgh Press]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1wsvj5TLX1qakblyo1_r1_1280.png)
On This Day in Pittsburgh History: April 16, 1987
The Pittsburgh Press won its second straight Pulitzer Prize for public service by revealing the inadequacy of the Federal Aviation Administration’s medical screening of airline pilots. The series by Andrew Schneider and Matthew Brelis led to significant reforms. [The Pittsburgh Press]
On This Day in Pittsburgh History: April 1, 1954
WQED, PBS channel 13, begins broadcasting as the first community-sponsored television station in the nation, and the city’s fifth TV station. [Wikipedia; Penn State University]
![“Depression Era Headlines.” The Pittsburgh Press Building, Pittsburgh, 1931 [Flickr]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m086jqHAUq1qakblyo1_1280.png)
![Advertisement for The Pittsburgh Dispatch, 1876 (wiki)
On This Day in Pittsburgh History: February 8, 1846
The Pittsburgh Dispatch, the first successful penny newspaper west of the Alleghenies, was founded by Colonel J. Herron Foster. [Historic Pittsburgh]
Excerpted from “Pittsburgh: How To See It,” published in 1916:
The Pittsburgh Dispatch is the third oldest paper in Pittsburgh and has been a daily from its beginning, February 8, 1846, and prosperous and profitable from the start. It was founded by J. Herron Foster, a member of a distinguished family of Western Pennsylvania, radical and aggressive in his opposition to human slavery and determined to use every proper weapon to effect the removal of the curse and stigma from the people of America. The City of Pittsburgh, April 10, 1845, had been devastated by a great fire and all forms of business were still suffering by reason of that calamity when Mr. Foster began the publication of The Dispatch. It was a small sheet but was well received because teeming with good cheer good hope and lofty purposes.
The Pittsburgh Dispatch ceased publication in 1923. More facts about the newspaper:
From “The History of Pittsburgh, Its Rise and Progress” (1906): “In 1849 … the first step of the new partners on taking charge was to enlarge the paper which was then half its present size It was a bold move but contrary to the predictions of many of its friends it proved a great success and in the two years following enlargements were necessitated by the growth of circulation and advertising patronage.”
Bold editorial choices included the placing of correspondents in Washington offices to diversify coverage and remain competitive when other newspapers were printing Associated Press newswires headlines on their front pages.
Nellie Bly, one of the first female journalists in America, got her start at the newspaper. According to her bio:
When Pink [Bly’s nickname] was 18 years old she wrote an anonymous letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Dispatch in response to a sexist editorial by the “Quiet Observer,” Erasmus Wilson. George Madden, managing editor of the Dispatch was so impressed by the letter, signed “Lonely Orphan Girl,” that he placed an ad in the Sunday paper asking that she introduce herself. The following day, Pink climbed the four stories to the offices of the Pittsburgh Dispatch and landed her first job as a journalist. Pink’s first article was a rebuttlal to Wilson’s sexist piece on the “women’s sphere.” Although Madden thought her grammar less than perfect, he asked for a second piece. When Madden decided to make Pink a permanent member of his staff, he needed to come up with a pen name for her, as it was quite improper for a woman to write for a newspaper and make her identity known to the public. After several suggestions from the newsroom workers, Madden chose Nellie Bly, the title character in the song “Nelly Bly” written 35 years earlier by Stephen Collins Foster, one of Pittsburgh’s own. Nellie focused her attention on women’s rights issues. She was the inventor of investigative reporting and an expert at under-cover work. She posed as a poor sweatshop worker to expose the cruelty and dire conditions under which women toiled. When shop owners threatened to pull their advertising from the Dispatch, Nellie was put on the fashion beat. She responded to her new assignment by taking a six-month working vacation in Mexico. She continued to write articles for the paper, which focused on poverty and political corruption in Mexico. Eventually the articles got her ejected from the country by its government. [CUNY]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lyq9zvbp8D1qakblyo1_1280.jpg)
Advertisement for The Pittsburgh Dispatch, 1876 (wiki)
On This Day in Pittsburgh History: February 8, 1846
The Pittsburgh Dispatch, the first successful penny newspaper west of the Alleghenies, was founded by Colonel J. Herron Foster. [Historic Pittsburgh]
Excerpted from “Pittsburgh: How To See It,” published in 1916:
The Pittsburgh Dispatch is the third oldest paper in Pittsburgh and has been a daily from its beginning, February 8, 1846, and prosperous and profitable from the start. It was founded by J. Herron Foster, a member of a distinguished family of Western Pennsylvania, radical and aggressive in his opposition to human slavery and determined to use every proper weapon to effect the removal of the curse and stigma from the people of America. The City of Pittsburgh, April 10, 1845, had been devastated by a great fire and all forms of business were still suffering by reason of that calamity when Mr. Foster began the publication of The Dispatch. It was a small sheet but was well received because teeming with good cheer good hope and lofty purposes.
The Pittsburgh Dispatch ceased publication in 1923. More facts about the newspaper:
- From “The History of Pittsburgh, Its Rise and Progress” (1906): “In 1849 … the first step of the new partners on taking charge was to enlarge the paper which was then half its present size It was a bold move but contrary to the predictions of many of its friends it proved a great success and in the two years following enlargements were necessitated by the growth of circulation and advertising patronage.”
- Bold editorial choices included the placing of correspondents in Washington offices to diversify coverage and remain competitive when other newspapers were printing Associated Press newswires headlines on their front pages.
- Nellie Bly, one of the first female journalists in America, got her start at the newspaper. According to her bio:
When Pink [Bly’s nickname] was 18 years old she wrote an anonymous letter to the editor of the Pittsburgh Dispatch in response to a sexist editorial by the “Quiet Observer,” Erasmus Wilson. George Madden, managing editor of the Dispatch was so impressed by the letter, signed “Lonely Orphan Girl,” that he placed an ad in the Sunday paper asking that she introduce herself. The following day, Pink climbed the four stories to the offices of the Pittsburgh Dispatch and landed her first job as a journalist. Pink’s first article was a rebuttlal to Wilson’s sexist piece on the “women’s sphere.” Although Madden thought her grammar less than perfect, he asked for a second piece. When Madden decided to make Pink a permanent member of his staff, he needed to come up with a pen name for her, as it was quite improper for a woman to write for a newspaper and make her identity known to the public. After several suggestions from the newsroom workers, Madden chose Nellie Bly, the title character in the song “Nelly Bly” written 35 years earlier by Stephen Collins Foster, one of Pittsburgh’s own. Nellie focused her attention on women’s rights issues. She was the inventor of investigative reporting and an expert at under-cover work. She posed as a poor sweatshop worker to expose the cruelty and dire conditions under which women toiled. When shop owners threatened to pull their advertising from the Dispatch, Nellie was put on the fashion beat. She responded to her new assignment by taking a six-month working vacation in Mexico. She continued to write articles for the paper, which focused on poverty and political corruption in Mexico. Eventually the articles got her ejected from the country by its government. [CUNY]
On This Day in Pittsburgh History: January 25, 1890
Journalist and Pittsburgh native Nellie Bly completed her trip around the globe in 72 days, 6 hours and 11 minutes. [Historic Pittsburgh; Wikipedia]
