Comm455/History of Journalism

When the roman empire fell in the fourth and fifth century, literacy, transportation and trade suffered a severe blow which ultimately put a halt on written news.

Most of Europe was left without any knowledge of contemporary news, which was the case until the 12th century.

The earliest known form of travel writing began with Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela. Writing in Hebrew, he shared his accounts in a hand written manuscript that spread across Europe.

Countries visited:

The Rabbi was not the only contributor to travel news. In 1275, the famous historical traveler Marco Polo emerged as did the story of his travels.

After being thrown in Prison in Genoa, Polo shares his experiences with his cellmate, accomplished writer Rustichello of Pisa.

Since the time of Rabbi Benjamin of Tudela and Marco Polo, travel writing has come a long way and today it is considered by many as one of the most enjoyable journalism careers in the industry.