Social Media in 1857
Newspapers once featured telegraph items that bear a striking resemblance to tweets.
Many Novembers ago, when The Atlantic was brand-new, a writer for The New York Times made a cautiously optimistic assessment of the fledgling magazine. The talent of The Atlantic’s writers was “indisputable,” the newspaper said, though “there is a lack of freshness in the topics discussed.”
No matter, the reviewer concluded. “A periodical, like a horse or steamer, must have sufficient time allowed it to show its strength.”
One hundred and sixty years later, here we are.has thrived well beyond the lifespan of even isn’t just a reminder of the institution’s storied journalistic roots, but a throwback to vastly different landscape—a time of horses and steamers, yes, and also printing presses and telegraphs.
