Till 1778, the common man did not know much about what happened inside parliament. However, that changed when journalists were allowed into the House of Commons in 1778. From 1783, newspapers began to print reports of the debates in parliament. This was a very important development, as Englishmen could now know what exactly their lawmakers were up to. If they read that parliament was not acting in their best interests, they could complain and take action. Parliament thus became more responsible to the people, and the newspapers also became more powerful as they played a role in moulding public opinion.
