Here's why:
* Prior to the rotary press: Newspapers were printed on slow, hand-operated presses. This limited production and made newspapers expensive.
* The rotary press: This innovation allowed for much faster and more efficient printing. It could print thousands of copies per hour, dramatically increasing production and lowering the cost per copy.
This led to a dramatic increase in newspaper circulation, as more people could afford to buy a daily paper. The "penny press" era began in the 1830s with newspapers like the *New York Sun*, which sold for a penny a copy and focused on sensational news and human interest stories. This made newspapers accessible to a wider audience, including working-class people.