Definition

Newspapers are typically expected to meet four criteria:

• Publicity: Its contents are reasonably accessible to the public.
• Periodicity: It is published at regular intervals.
• Currency: Its information is up to date.
• Universality: It covers a range of topics.

History

Main article: History of newspapers and magazines

Gazettes and bulletins

Before the invention of newspapers in the early 17th century, official government bulletins were circulated at times in some centralized empires.

In Ancient Rome, Acta Diurna, or government announcement bulletins, were made public by Julius Caesar. They were carved in metal or stone and posted in public places.

In China, early government-produced news sheets, called tipao, circulated among court officials during the late Han dynasty (second and third centuries AD). Between 713 and 734, the Kaiyuan Za Bao ("Bulletin of the Court") of the Chinese Tang Dynasty published government news; it was handwritten on silk and read by government officials. In 1582 there was the first reference to privately published newssheets in Beijing, during the late Ming Dynasty;^[3]

In early capitalist Europe, the increased cross-border interaction created a rising need for information which was met by concise handwritten newssheets. In 1556, the government of Venice first published the monthly Notizie scritte, which cost one gazetta.^[4] These avvisi were handwritten newsletters and used to convey political, military, and economic news quickly and efficiently throughout Europe, more specifically Italy, during the early modern era (1500-1700) — sharing some characteristics of newspapers though usually not considered true newspapers.^[5]

However, none of these publications fully met the classical criteria for proper newspapers, as they were typically not intended for the general public and restricted to a certain range of topics.