THE LOCAL AND OPPOSITIONAL PRESS

It may seem logical to assume that the rise of national magazines and the metropolitan press brought about, or reflected, a corresponding eclipse of local and rural publications. But in fact, as national-brand advertising increased, advertising agencies placed a considerable amount of it in small town papers, strenghthening them financially. In addition, as in the early republic, postal policy supported and subsidized a decentralized press. In the mid-1890's, Congress approved the introduction of free rural delivery-home delivery along rural postal routes-which meant under existing rules, that small town papers could be sent postage-free to rural subscribers within the country.
The introduction of the RFD starting in 1896 produced a boom in rural newspaper circulation and for many farmers meant the beginning of daily rather than weekly newspaper reading.