Despite the vast potentials of present day electronic publishing, some 200 million newspapers are still produced in the world every day - and some 90% of the literate world reads at least one of them each day. In 1990, Russia alone had 4800 titles and India more than 2000. In the United Kingdom the evolution of the modern newspaper summarises history from the 17th century onwards. The main staging posts in each generation are the huge improvements in the printing presses.

In 1621 the first proper newspaper, the Corante, was printed by a most cumbersome contraption which allowed only 50 copies to be printed in an hour. Not too bad as the entire circulation was only 250.
	We now see reporters cover stories from the war in Afghanistan and by the minute reports about the Taliban and Osma bin Laden. Although news has become a multimedia product, people still want to read detailed reports whether it be President Bush having talks with the President of Pakistan or the bombing of the World Trade Center in New York.
The Telegraph revolutionised the newspaper industry as much as the printing techniques. Secondly, they epitomise the history of communications. The Corante could only publish a 'hot exclusive' from overseas up to six weeks after the event.

Modern communications mean readers can be at the actual event 'live', either on TV or online.
Today a million copies of the Sun can be printed in an hour and the circulation is over 4 million. The biggest selling newspaper of all time was the Russian 'Pravda' which peaked at a 20 million circulation when, during the Cold war, it was a compulsory propaganda organ.

In the UK the old News of the World, which specialised in naughty scout masters, peaked at over 7 million in the fifties and was read by more than half the population. "I only buy it for the sport," was the standard excuse.

The evolution of the newspaper is also a valuable historical guide to censorship and advertising. During the reign of George 111 in the 18th century his court imposed a stamp duty to try and stop the constant lampooning of the monarch by the popular press. It meant that any two-sheet newspaper could not publish for under nine pence, the equivalent in today's terms of more than £10 ($15). Naturally, a vibrant alternative press sprung up immediately and rogue sheets appeared in London's most fashionable coffee houses. Among others, they made Hogarth infamous and heralded him into the annals of satire. But these often barbarous news sheets also caused the beginning of the present-day crippling libel laws.

Newspapers of the Past (click each photo to see full size)
True Informer. Containing a Perfect Collection of the Proceedings in Parliament - January 17.1645 - British Library 816.m.19.(7.) copyright c 1999 The British Library Board		Mercurius Civicus. London's Intellegencer 25 May-1 June. 1643 British Library E.104.(3.) copyright c The British Library Board