The New Novels - Harper's Weekly Advertisement

The advertisement in Harper’s Weekly for “The New Novels” is important when it comes to the expansion of an American entertainment industry with its own unique identity as well. “The New Novels” is an add specifically promoting American novels from an American publishing company. The power of the American media empire today can be traced back to tactics like this, bombarding readerships with only one entertainment identity until it is the one they accept, almost has a propaganda type feel to it. To have American readers see adds for American novels while they were initially reading a British novel is an excellent way to make those readers think about how different and how much better an American novel would be. The large levels of patriotism and pride the country has for things that are their own today is proof of this, and this mentality has spread to other countries as well. Compare Canada for example. While yes, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation does exist specifically to ensure Canadian programming is available these programs are still outshined by the majority of American programming that makes its way to the TV screens of Canadian viewers. Canada has its own pride in its specifically Canadian programs, but they still seek out American programs as well. Is this due to the availability of Canadian programming over American programming during the beginnings of entertainment? It is hard to say, but it does speak to the effectiveness of American entertainment companies creating their own specifically American identities early on.