Oldest Newspaper in the UK: History, Survivors, and What Still Prints Today

When we talk about the oldest newspaper in the UK, a printed news publication that has shaped how Britons learn about the world since the 17th century. Also known as Britain's first news sheets, these papers didn’t just report events—they helped create public opinion, hold power to account, and turn reading into a daily habit. It’s not just one paper. The title depends on how you define "oldest." Was it the first ever printed? The longest-running? The only one still publishing daily? Each answer leads to a different winner.

The Corante, a one-off news sheet from 1621 that translated foreign reports for English readers was the first printed news in England, but it didn’t last. Then came the London Gazette, the official government bulletin launched in 1665 to report on the Great Plague—and it never stopped. Today, it’s still published by the Crown, now as a legal notice board, but it holds the crown for continuous publication. Meanwhile, Berrow's Worcester Journal, a weekly that started in 1690 and still prints in paper form every week, is the oldest surviving weekly newspaper in the world. And if you want the oldest daily still running, that’s the News Letter, based in Northern Ireland since 1737, beating out even the famous Daily Courant, which folded in 1735 after 50 years.

These aren’t just relics. They’re proof that journalism survived wars, censorship, radio, TV, and the internet. The London Gazette doesn’t chase clicks—it prints court notices and royal appointments. Berrow’s still prints on actual presses in a small town, with subscribers who’ve had it for decades. The News Letter has covered the Troubles, Brexit, and now AI in politics. They’re not flashy, but they’re real. And if you’ve ever wondered where modern news started, look no further than these stubborn, quiet survivors. Below, you’ll find the full stories behind each one—what they covered, how they changed, and why they still matter today.