Distribution

Newspaper distribution has evolved over time with the growth of urban centers and improvements in transportation. Millennia ago, Acta Diurna, the reports of the Roman Senate, were proclaimed in the Forum and delivered by courier to the homes of senators, then by horse and ship to officials throughout the empire. During Venice’s war against Dalmatian pirates, scribes in the Kingdom of St. Mark (Venice) wrote news accounts that were posted on walls and sold in piazzas; a few individual copies were sold for a gazetta, the smallest coin.

In the 21st century, newspaper distribution faces additional challenges inasmuch as newspapers and their distribution are energy and resource intensive. Except in smaller towns, youth carriers have faded into history, and increased reliance on telephone sales and heavy ...