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Journalism / Mass Communication QUESTION #6404
Question 1
The oldest newspaper still in circulation, according to the timeline in the textbook, was published in which country and in which year?
  • France, 1631 (La Gazette)
  • Britain, 1621 (The Corrant)
  • Sweden, 1645 (Post-och Inrikes Tidningar)✔️
  • Germany, 1605 (Relation)
Correct Answer Explanation

The textbook's historical timeline of newspaper development includes this entry: “1645 — World's oldest newspaper still in circulation, Post-och Inrikes Tidningar, is published in Sweden.” This Swedish newspaper (whose name translates roughly as “Post and Domestic News”) holds the Guinness World Record as the world's oldest continuously published newspaper. Sweden is also home to the world's oldest freedom of information legislation (Freedom of the Press Act, 1766), suggesting Sweden's exceptional historical commitment to a free press. The other dates given — Relation (France, 1605), The Corrant (London, 1621), La Gazette (France, 1631) — are all earlier publications but are no longer in circulation. The distinction between “first newspaper ever” and “oldest newspaper still in circulation” is an important factual nuance.