History Extra podcast Breaking news! How stories spread in early modern Europe
28 snips
Sep 30, 2025 Joad Raymond Wren, a historian and author of The Great Exchange, dives into the intriguing world of news circulation in early modern Europe. He reveals how people in 16th-century London could swiftly learn about events in cities like Paris and Venice. Discussing the roles of merchants and ambassadors, he illustrates the complex networks that connected courts and markets despite widespread illiteracy. Wren also highlights the beginnings of formal news formats and the challenges of misinformation, drawing fascinating parallels to today's rapid information spread.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Expectation Of Regular News
- Around 1400–1500 people began to expect regular news arriving within weeks rather than occasional reports.
- This expectation marks the shift from sporadic reports to ongoing news exchange across Europe.
What Early News Covered
- News topics that travelled long distances centred on war, court activity, disasters and trade.
- Local news complemented these with parochial sensations, parliamentary reports and curiosities.
News Is An Exchange Act
- News is defined by exchange: one person telling another "this is what happened."
- Truth or recency matters less than the shared recognition that the communication is news.
