Mill Talk: A Paper Nation: America’s First Information Revolution

“Mill Talk: A Paper Nation: America’s First Information Revolution” is an illustrated presentation by author Alex Wright about the rapid growth of American newspapers from the Revolutionary War through the early twentieth century. Wright examines how new technologies, public policy, and the country’s commitment to free expression helped create a powerful new communications industry.

The talk follows the colorful figures and conflicts behind that transformation, including editors, printers, reformers, inventors, and salesmen. It also considers how independent newspapers eventually gave way to news syndicates, wire services, corporate ownership, and the mass media of the twentieth century, with parallels to today’s digital struggles over truth, technology, and power.

When: Wednesday, November 11, 2026

Showtimes: 7:00 PM–8:00 PM

Tickets: Free

Registration: Registration is required.

Presenter: Alex Wright, author of *Empire of Ink: The Printers, Rogues, and Radicals Who Invented the American Newspaper*

About the presenter: Wright is a writer, designer, and researcher focused on the history of the information age. His previous books include *Cataloging the World: Paul Otlet and the Birth of the Information Age* and *Glut: Mastering Information Through the Ages*. His writing has appeared in publications including *The New York Times*, *The Atlantic*, *Columbia Journalism Review*, *The Christian Science Monitor*, and *Harvard Magazine*. He has led digital initiatives at The New York Times, Google News, and Hearst Newspapers, and taught in the School of Visual Arts’ MFA program in Interaction Design from 2008 through 2019.

Venue: Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation, 154 Moody Street, Waltham, Massachusetts 02453

Format: Illustrated talk.

Accessibility: The page does not provide accessibility information.

Note: Mill Talks are free and open to the public with support from the Lowell Institute.