The first newsbooks were written during the seventeenth century English Civil Wars. The first newsbook was published in November 1641. This one contained more domestic news rather than foreign news. As the war continued and become more harsh they started publishing propaganda from each side.
There were many differences between early newsbooks and newspapers including:
- form
- style
- length
- topics
The newspapers tended to be longer, yet a newsbook could have from two to 40 pages. The newsbooks tended to focus on just one topic. They also looked more like a pamphlet. They went on more of a need to know basis and some even compared them to our tabloids today. They were famous for reporting on crimes and murders to keep people interested. They often had graphic illustrations to make them more enticing.
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