The demise of the newspaper has long been predicted. Yet newspapers continue to survive globally despite competition from radio, television, and now the Internet, because they serve core social functions in successful cultures. Initial chapters of this book provide an overview of the development of modern newspapers. Subsequent chapters examine particular societies and geographic regions to see what common traits exist among the uses and forms of newspapers and those artifacts that carry the name "newspaper" but do not meet the commonly accepted definition. The conclusion suggests that newspapers are of such core value to a successful society that a timely and easily accessible news product will succeed despite, or perhaps because of, changes in reading habits and technology.

Newspapers as a record of the day's events and conduit for public business have been part of life in the United States for several hundred years. While some newspapers claim the "newspaper of record" characteristics for themselves, others are so designated to serve specific community functions, such as the town chronicler or public notice distributor. The expression "newspaper of record" is most often found among works by lawyers, historians, and librarians. Yet many newspapers are now developing online news products that do not correspond directly to the newsprint version. Many are asking whether online newspapers will replace traditional newsprint products and whether the online version can or should be treated as equal to the newsprint version. State and municipal governments are exploring electronic distribution of public notices, challenging newspapers' exclusive claim to legal notice advertising revenue. Martin and Hansen focus on some of the traditional uses of newspapers by groups who use the "newspaper of record" concept, and they compare traditional newspapers to online newspapers as "records." After a historical review, they examine legal and archival uses for newspapers, report on several case studies of online newspaper production, and conclude with suggestions for future scholarly, legal, and industry focus on the "newspaper of record" concept. This valuable analysis serves professionals in journalism and law as well as scholars and researchers in journalism and archive management.

This study examines the tensions and interrelationships inherent in federal control of information in the technological era. Analyzing topics relating to information content and carrier issues, citizens' natural rights and utilities, and the effects of the executive and legislative branches, the author examines the historical definitions of information, traditional ethical principles, the parameters as framed by the Constitution, and three kinds of information control actions promulgated by the federal government (the Foreign Agents Registration and Propaganda Act, the Computer Security Act of 1987, and the Pentagon media rules during the Persian Gulf War). Following analysis of the practical, ethical, and legal issues involved, the author recommends a proactive information policy encompassing both information content and carriers and preserving Constitutional principles on the free flow of information.