The newsheets are a celebrated part of Cities culture. They are written, printed, read and sold almost exclusively in the region and mainly just focus on Cities life, although some of the weightier carry news from foreign land. Newsheets are both a major source of recent information and a form of entertainment; traditionally they have also been a means of political protest, although this is somewhat on the wane. Their prevalence reflects both the hunger for gossip and the high literacy levels; all classes read newsheets, although different titles are targeted at different markets. A newsheet is usually six to ten sheets of paper crudely bound together, flimsy and rather crude in appearance, made to be read then thrown away. Typically a title will appear weekly or monthly; most titles last around five years, although some have lasted longer due to popularity (see below). The recognisable form of newsheets began in the early 1200's, with a number of different influences.
1. Printed ballads. Ballads were formerly the only major carrier of information, particularly from distant lands. Often each ballad is part of a series which chronicles the life of a particular hero or a set of events (e.g. a war) and is regularly updated. The development of printing presses and the emergence of mass literacy in the 1100's led to the growth of printed ballads. These meant the 'purity' of each ballad could be preserved (i.e. it wasn't altered on each telling) and more complicated and subtle stories could be told. From their poetic form to the prose style of a modern newsheet was a logical step. One limitation of ballads, that they embellish and distort the truth in order to make a tale more attractive, has led to them being partially superseded as carriers of news, though it must be noted that many newsheets have embraced this semi-factual approach. Printed ballads remain popular and are often published in newsheets; one monthly title, All Trewe Tales, is exclusively devoted to ballads.
2. Political activism. The Garreday Uprisings both radicalised the working class and led to higher education standards. Both led to protest leaflets and pamphlets becoming increasingly prevalent. The anonymity of print and the ease with which paper can be concealed made these a safe way of spreading insurrectionary messages and they continued even after increasingly liberal governments lowered the stakes. Mostly protests were carried on single sheets addressing a single issue. However, a number of ongoing publications emerged in the 1100's, illegal at first but gradually legitimised. In both tone and production values they are the real forerunner to many working class newsheets today.
3. Gentlemen's/ladies diaries. A 'Scenes From Courtly Life' which has persisted from Erish times. These vignettes are generally written by some witty member of the aristocracy, usually under a pseudonym, and describe their daily activities, the people they have met and dined with, their reflections on life etc. Generally they are just a hymn and chronicle of Society Life and the chance to drop names, though some try to educate readers on the varied facets of life and some veer towards character assassination or mild social criticism. The diaries are usually slim tomes divided into weekly sections and published annually or bi-annually. Some are still written but mainly live on in the trivial, gossipier end of the newsheet market.
4. Chronicles, government newsletters etc. Again following the Uprisings, the Cities councils decided they should be more accountable and produce regular, free gazettes describing any decrees past, future plans and changes in personnel. Huwdone House followed suite a little later. One newsheet, Huwdone Times, literally originates from this source, being originally the official Huwdone gazette. More generally, the publications led to a thirst for regular and apparently empirical information about local and national issues. When tastes demanded more critical analysis than the government were prepared to offer the political newsheets began, often originally anonymously penned by government officials.
5. Prison/condemned man's diaries.
Titles
The numerous different styles of newsheet titles can be lumped into five main categories.
1. The heavyweights, offering the most detailed analysis and largest number of pages; targeted at either top income groups or intellectuals. The Herald and The Christotan Times are the two most noted 'gentleman's' papers, dealing extensively with internal and external political affairs, legal matters and economic news. They are largely interchangeable rivals, both boasting high production values, earnest, well-researched pieces and solidly right-wing opinions. However The Herald is more aimed at businessmen whilst Christotan Times concentrates on political and legal affairs. An even more political paper is Huwdone Times, which covers all aspects of government and social news and is widely praised both for its insightful analysis and its zeitgeist-catching polemics. As noted, Huwdone Times was once the official government gazette but became independent in 1261 in a very short-sighted cost-cutting exercise by the House of Marble. Ever since it has grown increasingly critical of the government, has become a favourite of liberal intellectuals and sells quite well among the general populace. All three titles owe much of their success to the contribution of insiders; businessmen and merchants for The Herald, Court Bracewell lawyers and legal clerks for Christotan Times and dissatisfied government employees for Huwdone Times. They all seemed to have captured the knack of writing both for those of their profession and for outsiders. Huwdone Times' contributors are especially important; many of its most sensational pieces consist of confidential documents leaked out of various government departments.
2. The middlebrow section of the market is a mixed bag. The Looking Glass and Cities Life are both blends of lightweight political and economic news, human interest stories and light, innocuous fiction. Both steer clear of scandal and polemics and are both derided as "little old ladies' papers", though they do enjoy a broad range of readers. The Looking Glass also occasionally splutters indignantly about new social trends or immigrant groups, though Cities Life is rather more tolerant. The Dorlaf Chronicle is a more targeted publication which champions the right of the small independent producer, be they trader, farmer or craftsman, with tireless dedication. It is one of the Cities' oldest publications, being founded in 1245, and has been an important influence in forging modern middle-class culture. The archetypal newsheet for combining a minimum of research for a maximum of opinion, admiration for the Chronicle's spirit is tempered by the reactionary, small-minded way it treats any groups outside its chosen circle. The Dorlaf, Forgar and Yaleth Times give apolitical but highly detailed accounts of events in the three cities, with a different publication sold in each town but the franchise controlled by the same editorial board. The stories are often slight, of the "Local man bakes giant pie" variety, but their parochial exclusiveness can allow far greater detail than the more ambitious newsheets.
3. The bulk of newsheets are aimed at the literate mass market. There isn't necessarily a vast amount of different to other titles, but they tend to be shorter, cheaper, more crudely produced, simply written and somewhat escapist. The template has been provided by The Messenger a title which appears weekly and for the last fifty years has easily been the Cities' top seller. The Messenger is an eclectic blend of lurid crimes, sex scandals, condemned mans/prison parables, short stories, ballads, sports news and the occasional piece of raging against the system for good measure. Its variety is one of its strong selling points; people buy the next issue simply to find out what is in it. It has also shown an uncanny ability to gauge local feelings and knows exactly who to persecute and who to champion. Many, many other titles try to imitate The Messenger, most of them here-today-gone-tomorrow affairs. The Bugle, Elven Works' new title, is selling well and incorporates fiction to a greater degree but the likes of The Tribune and Centre of the World are typically pallid escapist rags which won't be missed when they vanish two years hence. Some more openly radical titles still exist and try and win the working man over to the cause. Fourth March is a leftover from the Garreday Uprisings. Independently produced, it boasts a past list of regular contributors which includes Cane Callar, Allinon Smithson and Tomas Kendle. It continues to rage loud and long against a multitude of inequalities, but is now so much a part of the environment that it is viewed rather indulgently by many of those it has in its sights.
4. The most notorious of the newsheets are the gossip papers. All titles carry a little of their content; but some are almost entirely devoted to scandals, tittle-tattle and minor pieces of trivia about various Cities personalities. Like the Cities Satires plays, they are testament to the region's unique environment; the insularity, the nosiness and the blurring of the distinctions between life and art. Few gossip papers last long, but the two most durable epitomise their two different strands. Debonair Diary is effectively the Society Journal. It relentlessly reports on the doings of the well-to-do and powerful, particularly on their marriages and other romantic affairs, and has a respectful if incessantly intrusive approach. Though its readers and writers are largely start-struck working class girls, the Diary is largely well received and read by the aristocrats who star in it. On the other hand, Clothespeg, which has survived fifty years of legal suits, is a straight-forward scandal sheet. It is filled with a multitude of rumours, fabrications, white lies and the occasional fact about the misdemeanours of a whole variety of Cities residents, which jokes and snide commentary mixed in for good effect. Though its chief targets are the wealthy, it attacks them in a largely apolitical way and takes especial delight highlighting those who have risen from nothing and are rapidly falling back there.
5. There are enough newsheets devoted exclusively to the arts to warrant a special category, though their target market varies considerably. A number of titles offer earnest and often frighteningly opaque commentary on cultural activities in the Cities and beyond. Many focus exclusively on one field (poetry, drama etc.) though one of the largest, The Galrad, gives a broad and generally accessible overview and also functions as a listings magazine for upcoming events. Most of the titles are produced by artists or Dorlaf University students and intended to be read only by other students or artists. The Domes ran its own title for a number of years, though the level of jokes aimed at the staggering pomposity of its prose eventually led to its demise. A lighter read is offered by Distilled Wisdom Of The Sages (always referred to as 'DWOTS'), which has run for fifteen years. While still aimed at the intelligentsia, it continually satirises them and parodies artistic fashions themselves. Various collections of short stories and poems often appear, generally aimed at a broader market. Their general content is a mixture of lurid crimes, Guards adventure tales and pseudo-Erish historical romances. Some publications are also devoted to printing ballads, most notably All Trewe Tales, which over the past five years has become indispensable for anyone wanting to study the latest tales of hokum and heroics.
The industry
Many commentators have noted that newsheets still hold a peculiar combination of profitability and amateurishness. Even the largest titles have only a small editorial staff and few, if any, staff writers. Contributions are largely the work of freelance writers, who often submit unsolicited manuscripts. It is reckoned that only five or six people in the Cities earn a living wage writing for a single newsheet. A good deal more are employed on a part time basis, and can earn a living by flitting from title to title. However, all newsheets tend to hire extra staff at the same time i.e. during particularly newsworthy events. These include elections, disasters, major political scandals, sensational trials and carnivals, especially Garreday. (Though wars have proved to be anathema to the general newsheet culture. Readership plunged during the Labbish invasion and many established titles disappeared forever). A number of part-time writers are academics submitting occasional pieces. Often these are trashy and pseudonymous works written solely to pay a few bills, though some do bother writing quality articles and some have earned more of a reputation for these than their 'serious' works (Staycey Elparto and Thels Arcson being prime examples). Many other writers are simply ordinary citizens who write a piece and are never heard of previously or subsequently.
Likewise, the distribution methods remain rudimentary. As well as the parochial subject matters, this is a prime reason why newsheets have never spread much further than the Cities. Most titles are still sold by street vendors. Admittedly the larger titles employ professional salesmen who have established pitches (the editors of the smaller ones often have to resort to flogging their copies themselves) but it is still a curiously ramshackle way of doing things. The reason it continues is that it seems to work. The street vendors shift thousands of copies, they are better placed to attract impulse buyers (still the newsheets' main custom) and are allowed to trade practically anywhere from the Cities. In Parliament Square, for example, newsheets are the only things which made be sold, despite many of the titles containing strident criticism of Huwdone House. Some more sophisticated methods are gradually being adopted; deals are made with taverns, clubs, general stores etc. to sell newsheets from their premises. Any attempt to place them inside specialist bookshops, however, always flounders on the fearful loathing with which bookshop owners view newsheets. Ocheverry also made an attempt to open a specialist newsheet shop close to its works in 1332, but it closed through lack of business after six months. The titles targeting the higher income brackets also largely run on a subscription and home delivery basis, largely because their customers seem allergic to walking the streets.
Actually starting a newsheet is relatively simple. The title must be registered with the relevant Council before it can be sold, but this is generally a formality. Printing houses of all sizes are rife and many are willing to take outside business. As practically anything can be said, newsheets are no longer seen as liabilities, particularly as printing houses themselves bear no liability in treason or libel cases. The bulk of titles still operate in this small-scale manner.
However, at the top end newsheets are increasingly losing their independence. They are still huge money-earners and demand seems to be growing in line with increased competition. This means that popular titles can stay in business, but also makes them fine prey for rapacious businessmen. The main acquisitors are the large printing houses. It is a logical step, given that they produce the things anyway and would like all the profits rather than just a small percentage. The three main Cities printing houses, Ocheverry - who specialise in translated foreign literature - Elven Works - mainly academic works and poetry - and Byrisso - who have the contracts for both government work and Domes texts - all own regular titles. Ocheverry has The Herald, The Messenger, Huwdone Times, Debonair Diary and Cities Life; Elven Works The Bugle, The Dorlaf Chronicle and All Trewe Tales; whilst Byrisso produces the Jalkin/Yaleth/Forgar Times and The Tribune. Other examples exist further down the scale. Sometimes, and increasingly, the houses have launched their own titles - The Bugle the most successful - but Ocheverry's steady munching up of existing publications is more typical. Many point to this trend as the cause of the gradual depoliticising of the newsheets, but the truth is more complicated. Even the most sophisticated printing houses are still essentially just that, with little editorial or artistic inclination. Though there have been cases of articles pulled through fears of legal action, neither style nor any of the staff of the Messenger, for example, changed after Ocheverry took it over. The capitalists who run the printing firms will usually go for whatever makes money, regardless of risk or their peer's esteem. The gradual drift from strident radicalism towards gossip, innuendo and escapism in the newsheets more accurately has its roots in the growing political apathy of the last century, which can be seen in all areas of culture.
A few major newsheets remain free of the printing houses. The Confederate, a once-respected lampooning voice, was incorporated by into his business empire and has been declining ever since. The Christotan Times is propped up by wealthy benefactors and run by a Domes-style board of patrons. The Searcher and The Looking Glass are both controlled by consortiums, which the editor of the latter being a chief shareholder. But of the major titles, the only one still truly autonomous is Clothespeg. It is a private company, with the editorial staff, business directors and other staff being granted some shares each. Clothespeg, the second largest seller behind The Messenger, has remained staunchly independent over the decades, often having to change printing houses following attempts to bully it into joining their stable; it has begun building its own printing works in Forgar to try and resolve the situation. It is ironic that it sticks to the form of ownership championed by liberals while also sticking to the salubrious content which horrifies them.