Novascotian

Joseph Howe took control of it in 1827, establishing the paper's motto: "The free constitution which guards the British press."

Published as a weekly, the paper played a key role in the intellectual and political life of Nova Scotia.

A well-known contributor was Thomas Chandler Haliburton, creator of the immensely popular character Sam Slick.

Nevertheless, the Novascotian remained a liberal voice in the province until the First World War, reaching a peak circulation of 20,000.

[1] Young had a very respectable circulation due to the ability of him and his writers as well as the great newspaper industry emerging at the time.

Many of its readers withdrew their subscriptions, believing that Howe was too young, unskilled and inexperienced to run a newspaper.

Howe had a vision for the Novascotian; it was his mission to, "furnish the readers all that properly came under the heading of news, whether British, Colonial, American, or European.

[11] This was because Howe was the first to give regular reports on the House of Assembly and opened up his newspaper to the voices of the public through letters.

This increase in political involvement climaxed on January 1, 1835, when Howe published a letter, signed 'The People', in the Novascotian that denounced the current local magistrates of Halifax.

[12] Howe had eventually reached his breaking point and in late 1834, wrote in the Novascotian that he was going to start a campaign in the interest of bringing to light the wrongful actions of government.

"[19] It is said that Howe's libel victory established the fundamental basis for the freedom of the press in Canada,[18] but other scholars have offered contrary opinions.

A well-known contributor was Thomas Chandler Haliburton, creator of the immensely popular character, Sam Slick.

Nevertheless, the Novascotian remained a liberal voice in the province until the First World War, reaching a peak circulation of 20,000.