Early Creation of Shared Media

The early postal service was very influential in the growth of print media, it was the first exchange of news and connected a majority of Europe and eventually grew to connect beyond France and Europe. "Postal networks supported the creation of news networks. By 1600, there were correspondents exchanging economic and political intelligence across Europe..." (Paul Starr, 31)
In the beginning the news trade consisted mostly of information dealing with current market prices, and current exchange rates being passed only through the hands of merchants, bankers, diplomts and nobles before the service was opened to the public in the 1600s. When the news by mail service was opened publicly it began to run on a weekly schedule and now linked to the public it connected networks and people to other countries.