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Newspaper is a publication that presents and comments on
the news. Newspapers play an important role in shaping public
opinion and informing people of current events.
The first newspapers were probably handwritten newssheets
posted in public places. The earliest daily newssheet
was "Acta Diurna" ("Daily Events") which started in Rome in
59 B.C. The first printed newspaper was Chinese publication
called "Dibao" ("Ti - pao") started in A.D.TOO's. It was
printed from carved wooden blocks. The first regularly
published newspaper in Europe was "Avisa Relation" or
"Zeitung", started in Germany in ] 609.
Newspapers have certain advantages over other mass media
— magazines, TV and radio. Newspaper can cover more
news and in much detail than TV or radio newcast can do.
Magazines focus on major national and international events
of the preceeding week. But newspaper focuses on local news
as well and provides information and comments faster than
magazine can do.
There are about 1 700 daily and 7 500 weekly newspapers
in the US. The circulation of some weeklies is no more than a
few hundred of copies per issue and the circulation of some
dailies is over a million of copies.
There are daily newspapers and weekly newspapers. Daily
newspapers print world, national and local news. Many dailies
are morning papers, others are afternoon papers. Sunday issues
of the dailies are usually larger than the weekday ones. They
may include special sections on such topics as entertainment,
finance and travel or Sunday magazine, a guide to TV
programmes, colored comics. The major dailies in the US are
"Christian Science Monitor", "New York Times", "USA Today",
"Wall Street Journal", "Washington Post".
Weekly newspapers serve usually for smaller areas. They
are printed in small communities where people know each other
and are interested in activities of their friends and neighbours.
Weeklies report of weddings, births, deaths and news of local
business and politics. Most weeklies do not print world or
national news.
Questions:
1. What are the names of the first newspapers?
2. What are the advantages of newspapers over the other
mass media?
3. How many newspapers are there in the US?
4. What is printed in daily newspapers?
5. What are the major newspapers in the US?
6. What do weekly newspapers focus on?
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