John Campbell gave America its first continuous newspaper, the Boston News-Letter. A cautious editor operating in an era of suppression, Campbell took pains to stay in the good graces of colonial authorities; and once he had found comfortable editorial ruts, he entertained few thoughts of change. If not exciting, Campbell was persistent. Without enthusiastic response to spur him on, he nevertheless maintained publication of the News-Letter for seventeen years, faithfully recording domestic and foreign events. Lacking competition for its first fifteen years, the News-Letter contained a jumble of items dominated by old news culled from foreign newspapers and shipping news picked up from incoming sea captains. Though both paper and editor might be described as "faithful but drab," the News-Letter scored many "firsts" in American journalism by dint of its pioneering role.

Comparatively little is known of editor Campbell's personal life. He is believed to have emigrated to...