Old Newspapers That Are Totally Hilarious (And Still Make Sense Today)

Did you know the first U.S. newspaper came out in 1690 but lasted just one issue? The guy who started it got in trouble for not having a license. Talk about making headlines the hard way! This paper had only 4 pages but packed in politics, crimes, and juicy gossip. They even left a page blank for readers to add news themselves - DIY news, anyone?

Back then, newspapers tiptoed around criticizing the British government because America was still under British rule. Newspapers like The Boston News-Letter put “Published by Authority” on top to show who was boss. They were simple sheets with text on both sides, and you could even buy ads (though ads didn't get big till the 1800s).

By the 1800s, thousands of papers were out there, but not everyone could read them. Printing got better, and faster ways to send news popped up - hello, telegraph and telephone! Editors still mostly chatted by letters, which sounds super slow now.

In the 1830s, “penny papers” hit the streets. These cheap, mass-produced papers made news available to the working class. Big city folks got first dibs, but soon, smaller towns joined the party with their own papers.

In the early 1900s, newspapers were THE way to get news, besides the radio. Underground papers started for niche groups wanting their own voice - artists, workers, you name it. One cool one was The Village Voice in New York, where creatives shared their stuff starting 1955.

Fast forward to now, newspapers have shrunk big time. From 46,000 to just 22,000 since 2002. Online papers got popular, but even they’re seeing readers dip since 2020. Guess we’re all too busy scrolling to read the news the old way.

Why the drop? Well, our attention spans want quick bites, not waiting weeks for a paper to drop. Free digital news spoiled us a lot. But some folks miss the feel of paper in hand, which is why some magazines throw in cool freebies like stylish notebooks to keep us hooked.

Some say people are tired of screens and want real stuff again. So, maybe print media will stick around longer than we think. It’s like your favorite mixtape - you want the real thing, not just the streaming playlist.

So, what do you think of these old clippings? Still funny? Still relatable? Drop your thoughts and let’s celebrate the weird, wonderful world of vintage news!