Iphephandaba liyincwadi eshicilelwa ngezikhathi ezithile equkethe imininingwane ebhaliwe ngemicimbi yamanje futhi ivame ukuthayishwa ngoyinki omnyama onemvelaphi emhlophe noma empunga. Amaphephandaba angabhala ngemikhakha enhlobonhlobo enjengezepolitiki, ezamabhizinisi, ezemidlalo nobuciko, futhi imvamisa ifaka izinto ezinjengamakholomu wemibono, izibikezelo zezulu, ukubuyekezwa kwemisebenzi yasendaweni, izidumbu, izaziso zokuzalwa, amagama aphikisayo, amakhathuni wokuhlela, imichilo yamahlaya, nezeluleko amakholomu. Amaphephandaba amaningi angamabhizinisi, futhi akhokha izindleko zawo ngenhlanganisela yemali engenayo yokubhaliselwe, ukuthengiswa kwama-newsstand, kanye nemali engenayo yokukhangisa. Izinhlangano zezintatheli ezishicilela amaphephandaba ngokwazo zivame ukubizwa ngokungaziwa ngokuthi amaphephandaba. Amaphephandaba ngokujwayelekile abeshicilelwa ephrintiwe (imvamisa ephepheni elishibhile, eliphansi elibizwa nge- newsprint). Kodwa-ke, namuhla iningi lamaphephandaba libuye lishicilelwe kumawebhusayithi njengamaphephandaba aku-inthanethi, kanti amanye ashiye ngokuphelele izinhlobo zawo zokuphrinta. Amaphephandaba athuthukiswa ngekhulu le-17, njengamaphepha emininingwane yabathengisi. Ngasekuqaleni kwekhulu le-19, amadolobha amaningi aseYurophu, kanye naseNyakatho naseNingizimu Melika, ayeshicilela amaphephandaba. Amanye amaphephandaba anokuzimela okuphezulu kokuhlela, ikhwalithi ephezulu yobuntatheli, nokusakazwa okukhulu kubukwa njengamaphephandaba aqopha umlando.