The notion of device and the framework of the press in the 19th century

19th century Brazilian periodicals were vastly different from today's informative newspapers. Articles laden with vitriolic language, diminutive headings, scant editorial expedients and a mixture of information and opinion are some of the characteristics of the 19th century press, characteristics that challenge the researcher to apprehend the formal framework of that journalistic discourse. Our goal is to see elements as the name, headings and titles of the the newspaper O Povo (1838-1840), employing the category of device as proposed by Mouillaud (2002). Beyond the large blocks of text is a complex network of meanings, traces of a journalistic practice different from that held by modern newspapers.

History of the Press; Device; Communication