Design of Newspaper

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 Kaiyuan Za Bao ("Bulletin of the Court") 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. [Ref: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newspaper]

In 1556, the government of Venice first published the monthly Notizie scritte, which cost one gazetta. These avvisi were handwritten 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.

The printing press, invented by Johann Gutenberg in 1447, ushered in the era of the modern newspaper. Manuscript newssheets were being circulated in German cities by the late 15th century. In the first half of the 17th century, newspapers began to appear as regular and frequent publications. The first modern newspapers were products of Western European countries like Germany (publishing Relation in 1605), France (Gazette in 1631), Belgium (Nieuwe Tijdingen in 1616) and England (the London Gazette, founded in 1665, is still published as a court journal). These periodicals consisted mainly of news items from Europe, and occasionally included information from America or Asia. [Ref: http://www.dayafterindia.com/may206/media.html]

The technological revolution of today is creating new challenges and opportunities for newspaper. Never before has so much information been so accessible to so many. Soon newspapers adapted to radio and television (TV). But TV’s omnipresence did not render the newspaper obsolete.

The basic advantages of news paper over radio and television is “it doesn’t run on electricity”. It’s portable, foldable and readable. Here is a futuristic design of modern news paper which will enhance the usability and readability of News through Paper medium.

Design: Mr. Arjun (M S Ramaiah School of Advanced Studies)

Guide: Asst. Prof. Manas Mishra