However, there was no source of systematic information. As printers realized the demand for quick and detailed information, flyer newspapers began appearing every few days, or even daily, during the Swedish Deluge from 1655 to 1660. These newspapers included correspondence from all over Poland, gradually resembling periodical press.
The true title of "press" can be attributed only to "Merkuriusz Polski," which debuted in 1661. It was not merely a response to market demand but a deliberate move by the royal court to rally the nation for reforms. In short, it was a political-propaganda investment. King John II Casimir and Queen Ludwika Maria aimed to sway the masses toward governmental reform and secure a successor for the throne during King John’s lifetime, hoping to avoid chaos in a future election.
"Merkuriusz Polski" was the brainchild of the Grand Marshal of the Crown, Łukasz Opaliński. The first editor-in-chief was Hieronim Pinocci, an Italian by birth and a Pole in name, who already had journalistic experience, as he had been preparing a weekly information bulletin for the court.
Responsibility for printing "MP" was assigned to Jan Aleksander Gorczyn, a printer in Kraków. The first issue of "Merkuriusz" was released on January 3, 1661. Its full title was the catchy "Merkuriusz Polski, dzieje wszystkiego świata w sobie zamykający, dla informacjej pospolitej" (Polish Mercury, encompassing the world`s events, for public information). It was published weekly for 41 weeks, with issues ranging from 8 to 12 pages, in a 20x17 format, using Schwabacher typeface with Latin content in Roman and Italic fonts. Editorial preference leaned toward foreign news, but domestic events were not neglected. Domestic news focused on successes in wars against Moscow and the Cossacks. (Renowned historian Jerzy Łojek, who authored the book from which this information is drawn, argued that the propagandistic role of "Merkuriusz" was, at best, ineffective.)
On May 14, 1661, "Merkuriusz" moved its editorial office to Warsaw, as the Sejm was in session, and the entire court relocated there. After the Sejm, it disappeared.
There was no significant demand for "MP." Its circulation ranged from 100 to 300 copies. Amusingly, Łojek honestly admits that even historians have no clear idea who read it, who its audience was, or what impact it had on public opinion in Poland. It is known, however, that it reached several European capitals. To overcome language barriers, the king commissioned Pinocci to publish an Italian edition. The first issue was released at the end of January 1661 under the title "Continuatione del Mercurio Polacco." Six or seven issues were published, containing only news from Poland.
After the fall of "Merkuriusz," the press returned to the format of flyer newspapers, but with much lower frequency than during the Swedish Deluge. Renewed activity occurred during King John III Sobieski’s campaign to Vienna. Noteworthy titles included "Awizy," "Wiadomości różne cudzoziemskie," and Poland’s first literary-poetic monthly, "Mercurius Polonicus praecipuorum Europae eventuum epitomen..." by Jerzy Aleksander Priami, as well as "Poczta Królewiecka" by Jan Dawid Cenkier.
Although some historians believe that "Merkuriusz Polski" was not the first periodical newspaper in Poland, attributing that title to the mysterious "Nowiny Polskie" from Gdańsk, no copies of this publication have ever been found.
COMMERCIAL BREAK
New articles in section History of the media
FORTUNE. The story of the most exclusive business magazine
Małgorzata Dwornik
Half of the pages in the pilot issue were left blank. Only one printing house in the country could meet the magazine’s quality standards. They coined the terms "business sociology" and "hedge fund". They created the world’s most prestigious company ranking. This is the story of Fortune.
History of Le Soir. A Belgian daily once free for ground floor readers
Małgorzata Dwornik
It started with an unusual sales policy and articles written personally by the king. This is where the comic hero Tintin made his name. The "fake edition" from the II World War went down in history. "Le Soir" more than once found itself targeted by authorities, censors, and even... terrorists and hackers.
#mediaHISTORY podcast. Listen on Youtube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts [LINK]
Reporterzy.info
History of media and journalism. The biggest titles, famous journalists, groundbreaking events in the press, radio, television and internet industries in the world. Stories developed and told by Małgorzata and Bartłomiej Dwornik from the online weekly Reporterzy.info.
See articles on a similar topic:
Gibraltar Chronicle. Second oldest newspaper published in English
Małgorzata Dwornik
The first four-page issue appeared on 4 May 1801 with the lengthy title "Continuation of the intelligence from Egypt received by His Majesty`s Ship Flora in three weeks from Alexandria". Eleven days later, the authors decided to shorten the newspaper’s name. That is how the Gibraltar Chronicle was born, and it still exists today.
The History of Title Case. Where Did Capitalized Titles Come From?
Krzysztof Fiedorek
Title Case, a style where most words in titles begin with a capital letter, has shaped the look of English publications for centuries. Its roots trace back to the 18th century when the rise of the printing press influenced how information was presented.
Mada Masr. History of Egyptian online newspaper that started on a beach
Małgorzata Dwornik
On June 17, 2013, at the first editorial meeting, everyone sat on the floor. There were no chairs. There were no desks or money either. But there was passion, 17 ready articles, and a nameplate on the door: Office of the Artists Formerly Known as "Egypt Independent".
It all began with a one-letter typo. The story of Oprah Winfrey
KFi
One misplaced letter on her birth certificate turned Orpah into Oprah, and one charismatic hour each afternoon turned a local talk show into a cultural super-power. Here’s the story of a girl in potato-sack pants claimed the throne of TV and talk-shows.