High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Penny press newspapers were cheap, tabloid-style papers produced in the United States the middle of the 19th century. Mass production of inexpensive newspapers became possible due to the shift from handcrafted printing to steam-powered printing. The Penny Press was famous for costing one cent compared to other papers which cost around 6 cents. This paper was revolutionary because it made the news available to lower class citizens for a reasonable price, instead of being exclusive to upper-class citizens.