A newspaper is a periodical publication containing news and other information printed on paper, distributed to the general public. It may contain editorial commentary and advertising. In the past, newspapers were delivered to homes in printed form, but in modern times they are usually read online or on a mobile device. Newspapers are typically published daily, although some are weekly or monthly. Some have a specific title, for example “The New York Times” or “The London Telegraph”.
The word is derived from the Latin novem (“nine”) and patra (“paper”). In early modern Europe, rising cross-border interaction created a need for quick, concise news-sheets, and these first appeared in Venice around 1556. They were known as notizie scritte, cost one gazetta (a small coin), and were intended to convey political, military and economic news to cities. While sharing some characteristics of a newspaper, these did not fully meet the classical criteria.
Today’s newspapers have a wide variety of styles, and most are designed to appeal to different audiences with the goal of delivering content that is pertinent to them. For this reason, many have a broad range of sections, including politics, sports, crime, business, entertainment and lifestyles, alongside local and national news. Many also publish a Sunday edition, though this is often distinct in style and content from the weekday version.
Historically, some newspapers were printed on distinctively coloured newsprint to help them stand out on the newsstand and to promote their brand. For example, Sheffield’s weekly sports publication takes its name, the Green ‘Un, from the traditional colour of its paper, while the Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport is printed on pink paper. In addition, some cycling races are promoted through the use of special jerseys that bear the colour of the leading newspaper.
A newspaper with a high readership is a pillar of the community and serves as an important source of information and opinion. In addition, a well-established newspaper has the potential to influence public policy and debate in the country or region in which it is based. This is because a successful newspaper can command significant advertising revenue and can influence public opinion by influencing the agenda of the advertisers it attracts.
The New York Daily News, with its long history of granting voice to the voiceless and afflicting the comfortable, has been the stalwart of the city’s journalism since its inception in 1919. In the decades that followed, it won 11 Pulitzer Prizes and was home to such journalistic giants as Pete Hamill, Jimmy Breslin, E.R. Shipp, and the late Juan Gonzalez.
Despite its high circulation, the News has struggled to survive and, in a move unthinkable before the coronavirus pandemic, Tribune Publishing, which owns it, announced on Wednesday that it is closing the News’s physical newsroom. The same day, the company also said it was shutting offices for its suburban newspapers in Annapolis, Maryland and Westminster, Maryland. The News is not alone: other major newspapers have closed their newsrooms as well.