英国資本主义發达較早,所以英国报刊的历史也較悠久。它最早的报紙出現于1622年,是不定期出版的单頁紙新聞。1665年,出現双周刊“倫敦公报”,为英国历史上第一个政府机关报。英国第一份日报是在1702年出版的。到十八世紀中叶,英国报刊便开始兴盛起来。十八世紀許多报刊都同英国大文豪的名字連在一起。“魯滨逊飄流記”的作者笛福是“評論报”的主笔。“格列佛游記”的作者斯威夫特是“考查报”的撰稿人。英国有名的散文大家斯提尔和爱迪逊創办了“閑談者”和“旁观者”,编纂英文大辞典的約翰逊是“漫游者”和“懶汉”的創办人。他們在这些报刊上写了許多評論当 British capitalism developed earlier, so the history of British newspapers also has a long history. Its earliest newspaper appeared in 1622, is an occasional published sheet-paper news. In 1665, the bi-weekly London Communique appeared, the first government organ in British history. The first British daily newspaper was published in 1702. By the middle of the eighteenth century, British newspapers began to flourish. Many newspapers of the eighteenth century were linked to the names of Great English writers. Defoe, author of Robinson Crusoe, is the editor of The Review. Swift, author of Gulliver’s Travels, is a contributor to the Test News. Famous English prose writer Steele and Edison founded Chatters and Bystanders, and Johnson, who compiled the English dictionary, was the founder of Rover and Lazy. They wrote many comments in these newspapers