1863? LOL! I got some “news” for ya. There was massive massive propaganda masquerading as “news” back then too.
The tyrant Lincoln was using the army to shut down opposition press starting in 1861. In May 1861 the New York Journal of Commerce published a list of 100 Northern newspapers that opposed the Lincoln administration. Lincoln ordered the Postmaster General and the army to shut them all down.
May 18, 1864, Lincoln order that directly issued to General John Dix: “You will take possession by military force, of the printing establishments of the New York World and Journal of Commerce . . . and prohibit any further publication thereof . . . you are therefore commanded forthwith to arrest and imprison . . . the editors, proprietors and publishers of the aforesaid.”
So much for the first amendment.
It worked for Joseph Smith - for a while.
Well, to explain my point of view I have a number of reprints from the NYT from the civil war.
The news printed just showed the facts.
They did definitely describe each as Rebel vs Union but the facts on casualties seemed to be accurate as possible during that time.
The Times was not slandering the general officers involved and actually showing maps of each sides advance or fortifications.
I do not have the editorial pages.