How were local newspaper stories distributed worldwide

[MB]

I often search various newspaper archives, including foreign ones. It
is always interesting to see quite trivial local items in Australian,
Canadian, NZ etc newspapers. How were they distributed?

It was quite common to see an announcement / report in a local paper to
have a request for various countries' newspaper to copy it and publish.

[Evertjan.]

Post by MB
I often search various newspaper archives, including foreign ones. It
is always interesting to see quite trivial local items in Australian,
Canadian, NZ etc newspapers. How were they distributed?
It was quite common to see an announcement / report in a local paper to
have a request for various countries' newspaper to copy it and publish.

<http://ieg-ego.eu/en/threads/european-media/national-and-transnational-news-
distribution#TransnationalNewsReportingTranslation>

[MB]

Post by Evertjan.
<http://ieg-ego.eu/en/threads/european-media/national-and-transnational-news-
distribution#TransnationalNewsReportingTranslation>

That does not answer the question, about European newspapers at a much
earlier time and just around Europe.

I was wondering how in the 19th Century and later, newspaper in distant
Empire / Commonwealth countries were carrying quite minor news items
from British local papers often relatively soon after publication -
certainly much quicker than would be the case if taken there by ship.

I suspect that they were telegraphed by the news agencies, perhaps when
no other traffic. It is the range of local stories in distant papers
that always surprises me.

[Graeme Wall]

Post by MB

Post by Evertjan.
<http://ieg-ego.eu/en/threads/european-media/national-and-transnational-news-
distribution#TransnationalNewsReportingTranslation>

That does not answer the question, about European newspapers at a much
earlier time and just around Europe.
I was wondering how in the 19th Century and later, newspaper in distant
Empire / Commonwealth countries were carrying quite minor news items
from British local papers often relatively soon after publication -
certainly much quicker than would be the case if taken there by ship.
I suspect that they were telegraphed by the news agencies, perhaps when
no other traffic.  It is the range of local stories in distant papers
that always surprises me.

Quite a lot would have been sent to colonial papers in regions with a
preponderance of colonists from specific parts of the UK, like the
Scottish or Welsh enclaves in various parts of the world. Quite a few
would be items sent in to a British paper with a note to the effect
"<Colony> papers please copy"

[Tickettyboo]

Post by MB

Post by Evertjan.
<http://ieg-ego.eu/en/threads/european-media/national-and-transnational-news-
distribution#TransnationalNewsReportingTranslation>

That does not answer the question, about European newspapers at a much
earlier time and just around Europe.
I was wondering how in the 19th Century and later, newspaper in distant
Empire / Commonwealth countries were carrying quite minor news items
from British local papers often relatively soon after publication -
certainly much quicker than would be the case if taken there by ship.
I suspect that they were telegraphed by the news agencies, perhaps when
no other traffic. It is the range of local stories in distant papers
that always surprises me.

Yes I believe so, I have seen announcements in newspapers in the 1880s
which had a note at the end "Australian papers please copy" (though,
dammit, can't find an example at the mo)

According to this page:
https://www.mitel.com/en-gb/articles/history-telegraph-communications

'In 1872 the last country to be conected by telegraph was Australia,
which then made it possible for news to spread worldwide'

[Richard Smith]

Post by Tickettyboo
https://www.mitel.com/en-gb/articles/history-telegraph-communications
'In 1872 the last country to be conected by telegraph was Australia,
which then made it possible for news to spread worldwide'

Australia was indeed connected in 1872, but it wasn't the last country
to be connected. New Zealand wasn't connected until 1876, and I'm sure
some more obscure and/or less developed countries were later still. I
can't find out when Bhutan was connected, but that's the sort of country
that I can imagine may well have been left unconnected very late indeed.

Richard

[MB]

Post by Richard Smith
Australia was indeed connected in 1872, but it wasn't the last country
to be connected.  New Zealand wasn't connected until 1876, and I'm sure
some more obscure and/or less developed countries were later still.  I
can't find out when Bhutan was connected, but that's the sort of country
that I can imagine may well have been left unconnected very late indeed.

The Singing Line is worth reading, tells the story of the laying of the
telegraph line across Australia to connect to the submarine one (which
promptly went faulty).

[Ian Goddard]

I often search various newspaper archives, including foreign ones.  It
is always interesting to see quite trivial local items in Australian,
Canadian, NZ etc newspapers.  How were they distributed?
It was quite common to see an announcement / report in a local paper to
have a request for various countries' newspaper to copy it and publish.

There are some autobiographical books of Patrick Campbells which
describe his experiences of working as a journalist in Dublin. "My life
and easy times" was one. He recounts scouring foreign paper for
articles to rewrite when they had gaps to fill. This became known a
"reprehensilising Bosnian peasnts". You have to read the book to find
out why.

Ian

[Steve Hayes]

Post by MB
I often search various newspaper archives, including foreign ones. It
is always interesting to see quite trivial local items in Australian,
Canadian, NZ etc newspapers. How were they distributed?
It was quite common to see an announcement / report in a local paper to
have a request for various countries' newspaper to copy it and publish.

And some of them did, apparently.

Aunt Agatha emigrated from Eastvale, Yorkshire 30 uears ago and dies
in New Zealand, and her death announcement would appear in New Zealand
papers with the request "Yorkshire papers please copy", and they did.
It was a hardcopy version of social media, the equivalent of "Please
like and share" or "Please retweet".

[knuttle]

Post by Steve Hayes

Post by MB
I often search various newspaper archives, including foreign ones. It
is always interesting to see quite trivial local items in Australian,
Canadian, NZ etc newspapers. How were they distributed?
It was quite common to see an announcement / report in a local paper to
have a request for various countries' newspaper to copy it and publish.

And some of them did, apparently.
Aunt Agatha emigrated from Eastvale, Yorkshire 30 uears ago and dies
in New Zealand, and her death announcement would appear in New Zealand
papers with the request "Yorkshire papers please copy", and they did.
It was a hardcopy version of social media, the equivalent of "Please
like and share" or "Please retweet".

There is also the occasion when a relative will put an announcement when
the principal of the article lives in another city or country. An
article in a newspaper of a death in a distant city, help me find the
family in the city the newspaper was published.

[MB]

Post by Steve Hayes
Aunt Agatha emigrated from Eastvale, Yorkshire 30 uears ago and dies
in New Zealand, and her death announcement would appear in New Zealand
papers with the request "Yorkshire papers please copy", and they did.
It was a hardcopy version of social media, the equivalent of "Please
like and share" or "Please retweet".

By that time it would be easy to send copies of local newspapers to the
UK and I believe that there are (or were) agencies passing on content to
customers. They can forward photocopies, FAX pcopies or EMail scans of
articles to relevant local newspapers in the UK. That would be more
difficult in the 19th Century.