A newspaper is a written publication containing news, information and advertising, usually printed on low-cost paper called newsprint. General-interest newspapers often feature articles on political events, crime, business, art/entertainment, society and sports. Most traditional papers also feature an editorial page containing columns which express the personal opinions of writers. Supplementary sections may contain advertising, comics, coupons, and other printed media. Newspapers are most often published on a daily or weekly basis, and they usually focus on one particular geographic area where most of their readers live. Despite recent setbacks in circulation and profits, newspapers are still the most iconic outlet for news and other types of written journalism.

Features a newspaper may include are:

• Weather news and forecasts
• An advice column
• Critic reviews of movies, plays, restaurants, etc.
• Editorial opinions
• A gossip column
• Comic strips and other entertainment, such as crosswords, sudoku and horoscopes
• A sports column or section
• A humor column or section
• A food column
• Classified ads are commonly seen in local or small newspapers.

History

There is some debate over which publication was the first newspaper because the definition of a newspaper has been flexible. In ancient Rome, Acta Diurna, or government announcement bulletins, were made public by Julius Caesar. They were carved on stone or metal 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 Kai Yuan Za Bao 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;Brook, Timothy. (1998). The Confusions of Pleasure: Commerce and Culture in Ming China. Berkeley: University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-22154-0 (Paperback). Page xxi. by 1638 the Beijing Gazette switched from woodblock print to movable type printing.

Avvisi (plural of avviso) were hand-written newsletters used to convey political, military, and economic news quickly and efficiently throughout Europe, and more specifically Italy, during the early modern era (1500-1700CE) - sharing some characteristics of newspapers though usually not considered as fully being ones.

However, a newspaper by Johann Carolus's, the Relation aller Fürnemmen und gedenckwürdigen Historien published in 1605, is recognized as the world's first newspaper. The Dutch Courante uyt Italien, Duytslandt, &c. of 1618 is also considered by some to be the first modern newspaper since the Relation looks more like a book than what is now considered a newspaper.