Developed in the 17th century, the first newspapers started out as little more than information sheets for businessmen. However, by the early 19th century, many cities in Europe had newspapers that were published on a regular basis.
Modern newspapers contain a range of content, including news articles, opinion columns, weather forecasts, obituaries, birth notices, crosswords, comic strips, and advice columns. Most newspapers pay their expenses through a combination of subscription revenue, newsstand sales, and advertising revenue.
Computer technology nowadays plays quite an important role in the production of news and newspapers. Most newspapers now have online editions for added convenience.
Here are some key facts about newspapers:
- Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun, Asahi Shimbun and Mainichi Shimbun have the largest number of newspapers in circulation in the world.
- The first newspaper to contain a crossword was the British Sunday Express on November 2nd, 1924.
- The Times of India is currently the most circulated English-language newspaper in the world.
- It is estimated that approximately 24 billion newspapers are published every year.
