In some countries and at some points in history, what news media and the public have considered “newsworthy” has met different definitions, such as the notion of news values.

Sufficiently important news would be repeated quickly and often, and could spread by word of mouth over a large geographic area.

Even as printing presses came into use in Europe, news for the general public often travelled orally via monks, travelers, town criers, etc.

Visible chains of long distance signaling, known as optical telegraphy, have also been used throughout history to convey limited types of information.

Thus, political, religious, and commercial interests have historically controlled, expanded, and monitored communications channels.

The spread of paper and the printing press from China to Europe preceded a major advance in the transmission of news and new channels.