How did newspapers attract readers?

Actually, American newspapers had women readers almost from the beginning. While it is true that in the late 1700s, it was only men who went to college, many upper-class women had some education and they enjoyed reading; they followed news of the theater, music, and other fine arts, and they kept up with what members of upper-class society were doing (this may sound elitist, but actually, many upper-class families were involved with philanthropy, and they funded libraries, museums, zoos, and hospitals).

In the mid-1800s, there were already some magazines aimed at women readers; they focused on traditional women's interests, such as home-making, fashion, and cooking, and some included fiction or poetry. But a few newspapers began hiring women reporters to cover non-traditional topics including travel and even politics. One of the earliest female reporters, who was widely read by both men and women, was Margaret Fuller, who wrote for the New York Tribune and even became a foreign correspondent, perhaps the first woman to do so.

Other women reporters of the 1800s included Jennie June, who wrote regular columns for a middle and upper-class female audience, usually on homemaking, but at times, about advancing women's educational and professional opportunities; and Nelly Bly, perhaps the first female under-cover and investigative reporter, whose human interest reports exposed greed and corruption and helped to change society.

Newspapers began providing a "women's page" in the late 1800s; but even then, many women also read news stories and wanted to know what was going on in sports, politics, and other current events. Newspapers also began publishing profiles of unusual women who were involved in non-traditional occupations, such as becoming a lawyer or a scientist. So, to sum up, newspapers attracted women by focusing on topics female readers were supposed to care about, by hiring some women reporters, and by providing exciting and interesting human interest stories.