The Context of Greenbelt
Greenbelt was founded in 1937 as an ideal community (1). It was supposed to be one
of many government-built housing projects of its time, but it was one of only a handful
actually completed.
Greenbelt was founded a few miles outisde of Washington, and it is now in the heart
of close-lying suburbs that surround Washington. But in 1937, it was considered an
outlying suburb. The city was served by a streetcar line so residents could commute
into the city to work (all residents were required to hold jobs). Those who owned cars
could take Route 1 into the city.
The city was founded as a large housing project, but it wasn't a housing project in
the vein of the section 8 projects the government undertook in the latter half of
the 20th century like Baltimore's Lexington Terrace project, which was recently demolished.
Prospective residents had to go through a screening process. The government was innundated
with applications from people who wanted to live in the planned community, and the
government chose people who would be active in their community and would be good
citizens.
With the intense screening and later the scrutiny placed on Greenbelt, the city became
a sort of a second Dedham. Dedham was one of the first urban places in the United
States, and from Dedham comes the "City on the Hill" mentality.
Greenbelt was a "City on the Hill" as well. Its residents were concerned with appearances.
They were out to prove the government's money was spent well on their new community,
and others should follow despite the large number of naysayers, who said it wasn't the government's place to build such a community.
The Context of Newspapers
In 1937, when the Greenbelt Cooperator was founded, newspapers were still king of
the news media hill. Radio news was still in its infancy, and the
radio newscasters
often just read what was in the newspaper on the air (Some newscsters still
do this. In fact, sometimes they don't even change the words. But the
amount of reporting broadcast
outlets do has increased greatly since the early days).
Newspapers printed numerous editions of its morning and evening newspapers. Markings
on The New York Times indicate it regularly published at least 13 editions of its
morning newspaper (2). Many newspapers also printed evening editions.
Washington was served by five newspapers in 1937. It is important to remember the
state of Wahsington newspapers in 1937 was not what it is now.
The now-defunct Washington Star was the top circulating newspaper in Washington in
1933 (3). Washington was also served by The Washington Herald, The Washington Times (which was later bought by the Herald, and is no way related to the current Washington
Times) and The Washington Post. The Post was dead last in circulation in 1933, when
Eugene Meyer purchased it in a bankrupcy sale.
In Meyer's first 10 years of ownership, circulation tripled, and the once-bankrupt
Post purchased The Washington Times-Herald. For a short time, the paper was known
as The Washington Post-Times-Herald, and was topped with the nameplates of each of
the papers.
It is also important to remember that The Washington Post did not cover local news
the way it does today. The Post did not have the Weekly sections it does today, and
there was no Metro section--the Metro section was known as the City section then.
Nor did The Post have bureaus in each of the county seats.
In fact, sometimes when one calls the Metro section, the phone will still be answered
"city desk," if the caller happens to find a Post veteran on the other end of the
phone.
Read about Comic
Books and The
Saturday Evening Post to learn more about the mass media in Greenbelt
from 1937-1945.
Go back to The Scoop on Newspapers.
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Go to Virtual Greenbelt.