Benjamin Henry Day revolutionized American journalism with the introduction of the New York Sun. Costing one cent and emphasizing local news and humorous human interest stories, the Sun was intended for an audience largely ignored by the other New York newspapers, which cost six cents and stressed national economic and political news. Penny papers had been tried before, but all had failed. With the Sun, Day proved that a penny paper could be successful and that a much wider audience for American newspapers existed than had previously been imagined. By choosing stories with high human interest value and strong local ties over stories about national political or economic issues, Day redefined newsworthiness. In addition, he brought the "London Plan" of newspaper distribution, under which newsboys hawked newspapers in the streets, to America. Day's unique news formula and his use of direct marketing techniques were highly successful, and within...