Gazeta de Caracas
La Gazeta de Caracas (Spanish: The Caracas Gazette) was the first newspaper printed in Venezuela; its first issue was published on October 24, 1808. In 1814, its name changed to Gaceta de Caracas. The newspaper was issued, with some interruptions, until January 1822.
| Type | Newspaper |
|---|---|
| Format | ? |
| Owner(s) | ? |
| Editor | Andrés Bello |
| Founded | 1808 |
| Ceased publication | 1822 |
| Headquarters | Caracas Venezuela |
It was printed by the Britons Matthew Gallagher and James Lamb, who had brought a printing press from Trinidad. They became the first typographers working in Venezuela.
The newspaper published news and ideas favorable toward the current government, which would subject it to rapid changes in editorial policies as the Venezuelan War of Independence raged; its sympathies alternated between royalist and republican, somewhat undermining its credibility.
Andrés Bello was almost permanently editor of the newspaper until it changed name in 1814.
The significance of having newspapers in South America at the turn of the 19th century has been linked to the causation of nationalism worldwide. This idea is explored in Benedict Anderson's book Imagined Communities.[1]
References
- Anderson 1991
Sources
- "PAPEL DE LA PRENSA EN LA HISTORIA DE VENEZUELA (1808 - 1900)". Retrieved 20 January 2009.
