Join Britannica's Publishing Partner Program and our professional network to earn worldwide exposure for your work! The New York World, a daily newspaper published in New York City from 1860 to 1931, had a colorful and outspoken effect on American journalism in its numerous incarnations under multiple proprietors. Today, however, most newspapers are also published as online newspapers on websites, and some have even abandoned their print counterparts completely. Newspapers began as information sheets for merchants in the 17th century. Many towns in Europe, as well as North and South America, had newspapers by the early nineteenth century.