The dates of February 16 and December 5 pass with little, if any, notice in New Jersey
newspapers every year. Likewise, the names of Isaac Collins and Shepard Kollock are unlikely
to appear in newsprint on these or any other dates. But these two men and these two dates hold
significant roles in New Jersey history. It was on December 5, 1777, that Collins published New
Jersey’s first newspaper, The New Jersey Gazette. Kollock started the state’s second news
publication, The New Jersey Journal, on February 16, 1779.
Their two newspapers’ contents, appearances, distribution methods and relationships with
government differed radically from the newspapers that circulate in New Jersey today.
However, by building and maintaining support for the colonists’ struggle for independence, The
New Jersey Gazette and The New Jersey Journal were instrumental in shaping the state’s
character and policies - a role that the Garden State’s newspapers continue to fill today, as they
have throughout the state’s history. Indeed, a review of the early history of New Jersey
journalism reveals the roots of many policies that have become standard operating procedures for
today’s newspapers.
New Jersey Public Policy Collection
