Francisco Mariano Nipho

Francisco Mariano Nipho (a.k.a. Francisco Mariano Nifo y Cagigal)(1719 in Alcañiz – 1803 in Madrid) was a Spanish writer and journalist. He was born to a mother from Pamplona and his father was a lieutenant colonel in the Army and also the governor of Maella.

Nicknamed "the freak of nature", he is regarded in Spain as one of the best journalists of all time. During the reign of Charles III, he established himself as the founder of modern journalism and the first professional journalist. Born Francisco Manuel Mariano Nipho in Alcaniz, as a young boy his family moved to Madrid where he grew up, worked, and spent the rest of his life.

Nipho founded a number of newspapers and published under many different pseudonyms, including but not limited to "Mariano de la Say" and "Manuel Ruiz de Uribe". Nipho’s work highlighted the artistic and social responsibility of journalism, but did not benefit him economically. He said that journalism was "a painful and unprofitable occupation", but that the real task of journalism was to "educate and moralize." Like many European journalists of the period, he made extensive use of translation, and may be credited with publishing the earliest known direct English-to-Spanish translations of a literary text.

In his later years, he began to establish himself economically and professionally, serving as a censor in the late 18th century.

Modern conception of journalism

Nipho believed that books were out of reach of the general public, and newspaper circulation was a critical source for sharing ideas within society. His newspaper articles, rather than conveying pure news and scholarly information were critical, and always looked for popularization to try and connect with readers.

Having a traditional and Christian background, Nipho intended to convey new knowledge of the enlightened minority to the rest of the country, although the rationalism of the time conflicted with his religious beliefs. In any case, theocentric vision remained intact. Nipho had several ideas about his approach to journalism, containing three fundamental notes: range, accuracy and speed. He had to report a profit immediately, in this case, the recovery of the Spanish economy. The journalist must meet two objectives: education and development of science.

Era and influences

The circumstances of the eighteenth century greatly influenced Nipho. It was a time when Enlightenment ideas were prevailing. The picture had great zeal for reform and were supported by the monarchy. They had an entrepreneurial spirit. However, his reform measures could not match the true desires of the country. Some traditionalists opposed sectors and transformations developed slowly. The problems at the time in Spain (poverty, low social mobility) made Charles III along with politicians and intellectuals carry out a number of improvements. This was attempted while reducing the power of the nobility supported by the bourgeoisie. Therefore, the reforms did not arrive by the revolutionary way.

Journalism

On 1 February 1758, Nipho worked with Juan Antonio Lozano, and with the support of Ferdinand VI, to publish the first issue of the Diario noticioso, curioso-erudito y comercial, público y económico a.k.a. Diario de Madrid, the first Spanish daily newspaper to publish general information, though in 1759, Nipho sold his share in the Diario's printing privileges .

In the following years he began new journalistic projects, most of them short-lived: El Caxón de sastre (1760-1761), the first work in Spain to be sold by subscription, which collected literary fragments and articles on aesthetics, morality, society and culture, all in defence of good taste; El Duende Especulativo (1761), on criticism of customs in Madrid; El murmurador impartial (1761), a kind of anthology of literary texts; La Estafeta de Londres (1762), a weekly on various subjects from English publications; El Diario estrangero (1763), a weekly work that collected literary news from Europe and - for the first time - theatre criticism from Madrid; El Pensador cristiana (1763) and El hablador juicioso y crítica impartial (1763), weekly publications in which works by the Jesuit Juan Busseo appeared translated, in the first case, and by the abbot Langlet, in the second; the Correo general, histórico, literaria y económico de la Europa (1763), a general information weekly; El novelero de los estrados y tertulias (1764), a weekly in which seven novels by Marmontel and one by Matías de los Reyes, a 17th century writer, were translated; El escolar Investigación (1764), which offered translated works on the arts, laws and sciences; and El Bufón de la Corte (1767, in English: The Court Jester), a satirical weekly published under the pseudonym "Joseph de la Serna" with the intent of providing the context of laughable irony to current situations, and using humor to pad serious social concepts.

As can be seen, these are very different works, all of them aimed at spreading new enlightened ideas and advances in all areas of knowledge, as well as educating the people in new social virtues and good taste, in order to emerge from the backwardness and decadence into which Spain had fallen and achieve public happiness .

Nipho's output was varied and numerous, but all of it reflects his view that the newspaper is a communication medium that reaches the masses.

A figure in perspective

The life and work of Nipho reflects his fickle nature, which resulted in the times he abandoned several of his publications. We can find in his writings the manifestations of deep criticism and pessimism because of the de-Christianization and demoralization that crossed Spanish society. This pessimistic view is what generates the desire to fix and improve. He showed that journalism was an art for him a great social responsibility, although it was little compensation.

Nipho caused an evolution in journalism: daily newspaper, political press, press moralizing and customs, as well as perfecting the known literary scholars newspapers. Along with the daily newspaper, brings establishing underwriting and commercial information or advertising. Also selling newspapers on the street as conceived today. The Journal Noticioso

The first two copies were named: Daily News bulletins Curious-Scholar Public and Commercial and Economic. He had a long life, until 1918. Nipho created in 1758 the first publication of a daily basis in the history of Spanish journalism. Many previous papers had the name "daily" because reporting of events in chronological order by day. Noticioso Journal is coupled with the Censor and The Thinker, the three biggest newspapers in the second half of the eighteenth century in Spain. In 1759 Nipho sheds its part of this company, and sells it to his partner, Juan Antonio Lozano, who continues to publish the newspaper until his death in 1780. In Noticioso Journal ads are inserted "for nothing". Birth of the "Warning" in Spain, which concludes the "Plan" newspaper. Nipho explained:

"Many individuals advised me to give the notices, which are determined for the Journal from eight to eight days, or at most twice a week, but I have not been able to accommodate this idea, for a very strong reason is that many Sometimes there is a person in this courtroom who has commissioned accuracy or buy some things for themselves, or for people in their place: this guy is a day in court and not the entire week, with that for it, if it does not come or be in Madrid on the day of publication of the Journal, he notices that will be slow to communicate or not timely. For this reason, you want to sell some jewellery or furniture, you may lose the stranger say a good purchased. But today has money who need it tomorrow, with that out every day of the Journal useful work all serve their ads".

This publication had up to 1000 subscribers. In 1786, Jacques Thevin renamed by Diario de Madrid . Covering the local, the national front, which had no place in the official newspapers: the Gazette and Mercury.