thumb|upright|[[The New York Times Building in Midtown Manhattan. Some meanings of the term originated in reference to The New York Times.]]
A newspaper of record is a major national newspaper with large circulation whose editorial and news-gathering functions are considered authoritative and independent. Such publications are thus "newspapers of record by reputation" and include some of the oldest and most widely respected newspapers in the world. The number and trend of "newspapers of record by reputation" is related to the state of press freedom and political freedom in a country.
Newspapers of public record
thumb|upright|Paris [[headquarters of , France's centre-right newspaper of record (public record and by reputation)]]
A "newspaper of public record", or government gazette, refers to a publicly available newspaper that is authorized by a government to publish public or legal notices. It is often established by statute or official action and publication of notices within it, whether by the government or a private party, is considered sufficient to comply with legal requirements for public notice. Such gazettes may have minimal or no editorial content (opinion articles), and are focused on public notification of state services and state decisions; an example is Latvia's Latvijas Vēstnesis.
In some jurisdictions, privately owned newspapers may register with the government to publish public and legal notices, or be otherwise eligible to publish such notices (terms used may include "newspaper of general circulation" among others). Likewise, a private newspaper may be designated by the courts for publication of legal notices, such as notices of fictitious business names, if judicial and statutory standards are met. These are sometimes called "legally adjudicated newspapers".
Government organs
The term "newspapers of public record" can also denote those owned and operated by a government that directs their entire editorial content. Such newspapers, while pejoratively termed "state mouthpieces", can also be called "official newspapers of record", independently of whether they publish legal notices – distinguishing them from a gazette whose primary role is to publish notices, as their entire content represents the official view and doctrine of the state. This kind of official newspaper is distinct from newspapers of record by reputation, and is liable to fail the reputation criterion due to its governmental control. The word "official" can be used to distinguish them from "newspapers of record by reputation". Examples include Russia's Rossiyskaya Gazeta, North Korea's Rodong Sinmun, and China's People's Daily.
Newspapers of record by reputation
thumb|upright|First edition of [[Neue Zürcher Zeitung (1780), the world's oldest newspaper of record by reputation]]
The second type of "newspaper of record" (also "journal of record", or in French ') is not defined by formal criteria, and its characteristics vary. The category comprises newspapers that are considered to meet high standards of journalism, including editorial independence (particularly from the government and from its owners), accountability (mistakes are acknowledged), attention to detail and accuracy, and comprehensiveness and balance of coverage; they are regarded internationally (as well as in their own country/region) by major global outlets.
Despite changes in society, newspapers of record by reputation have historically tended to maintain a similar tone, coverage, style, and traditions; many are over a century old and some over two centuries old (e.g., Neue Zürcher Zeitung, The Times, The Guardian, , and The Sydney Morning Herald). In recognition of that usage, The New York Times held an essay contest in 1927 in which entrants had to demonstrate "The Value of The New York Times Index and Files as a Newspaper of Record". The New York Times, and other newspapers of its type sought to chronicle events, acting as a record of the day's announcements, schedules, directories, proceedings, transcripts, and appointments. By 2004, The New York Times no longer considered itself a newspaper of record in the original, literal sense.
Over time, historians relied on The New York Times and similar titles as a reliable archival and historical record of significant past events, and a gauge of societal opinions at the time of printing. The term "newspaper of record" evolved from its original literal sense to that newer meaning. the Financial Times, and to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei).
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| rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;" | Australia
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;" | Oceania
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|The Age
| style="text-align:left;" | Melbourne
|1854
| rowspan="2" |English
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| rowspan="2" |German
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| Der Standard
| 1988
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| style="text-align:left;" | Bahamas
| style="text-align:left;" | North America
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| The Nassau Guardian
| style="text-align:left;" | Nassau
| 1844
| English
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| style="text-align:left;" | Bangladesh
| style="text-align:left;" | South Asia
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| The Daily Star
| style="text-align:left;" | Dhaka
| 1991
| English
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| rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;" | Belgium
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;" | Western Europe
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|Le Soir
| style="text-align:left;" | Brussels
|1887
|French
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| De Standaard
| style="text-align:left;" |Groot-Bijgaarden
| 1918
| Dutch
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| style="text-align:left;" | Bolivia
| style="text-align:left;" | South America
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| El Diario
| style="text-align:left;" | La Paz
| 1904
| Spanish
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| rowspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | Brazil
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | South America
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| O Estado de S. Paulo
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;" | São Paulo
| 1875
| rowspan="3" | Portuguese
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| Folha de S.Paulo
| 1921
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| O Globo
| style="text-align:left;" | Rio de Janeiro
| 1925
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| La Presse
| 1884
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| The Globe and Mail
| style="text-align:left;" | Toronto
| 1844
| English
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| rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;" | Colombia
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;" | South America
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|El Tiempo
| style="text-align:left;" | Bogotá
|1911
|Spanish
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| El Espectador
| style="text-align:left;" | Bogotá
| 1887
| Spanish
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| style="text-align:left;" | Costa Rica
| style="text-align:left;" | Central America
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| La Nación
| style="text-align:left;" | San José
| 1946
| Spanish
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| style="text-align:left;" | Czech Republic
| style="text-align:left;" | Central Europe
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|Lidové noviny
| style="text-align:left;" | Prague
|1893
|Czech
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| style="text-align:left;" | Denmark
| style="text-align:left;" | Northern Europe
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|Berlingske
| style="text-align:left;" | Copenhagen
|1749
|Danish
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| style="text-align:left;" | Dominican Republic
| style="text-align:left;" | North America
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| Listín Diario
| style="text-align:left;" | Santo Domingo
| 1889
| Spanish
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| style="text-align:left;" | Ecuador
| style="text-align:left;" | South America
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| El Comercio
| style="text-align:left;" | Quito
| 1921
| Spanish
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| rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;" | Egypt
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;" | North Africa
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|Al-Ahram
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:left;" | Cairo
|1875
| rowspan="2" | Arabic
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| Al-Masry Al-Youm
| 2004
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| style="text-align:left;" | Finland
| style="text-align:left;" | Northern Europe
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|Helsingin Sanomat
| style="text-align:left;" | Helsinki
|1889
|Finnish
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| rowspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | France
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | Western Europe
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| rowspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | Paris
| 1826
| rowspan="3" | French
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| Le Monde
| 1944
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| Die Welt
| style="text-align:left;" | Berlin
| 1946
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| Die Zeit
| style="text-align:left;" | Hamburg
| 1946
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| style="text-align:left;" | Guatemala
| style="text-align:left;" | North America
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| Prensa Libre
| style="text-align:left;" | Guatemala City
| 1951
| Spanish
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| style="text-align:left;" | Haiti
| style="text-align:left;" | North America
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| Le Nouvelliste
| style="text-align:left;" | Port-au-Prince
| 1898
| French
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| style="text-align:left;" | Hong Kong
| style="text-align:left;" | East Asia
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| South China Morning Post
| style="text-align:left;" | Hong Kong
| 1903
| English
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| style="text-align:left;" | Iceland
| style="text-align:left;" | Northern Europe
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|Morgunblaðið
| style="text-align:left;" | Reykjavík
|1913
|Icelandic
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| style="text-align:left;" | India
| style="text-align:left;" | South Asia
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|The Hindu
| style="text-align:left;" | Chennai
|1878
|English
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| style="text-align:left;" | Indonesia
| style="text-align:left;" | Southeast Asia
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| Kompas
| style="text-align:left;" | Jakarta
| 1965
|Indonesian
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| style="text-align:left;" | Iran
| style="text-align:left;" | West Asia
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| Ettela'at
| style="text-align:left;" | Tehran
| 1926
| Persian
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| style="text-align:left;" | Ireland
| style="text-align:left;" | Northern Europe
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| The Irish Times
| style="text-align:left;" | Dublin
| 1859
| English
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| style="text-align:left;" | Israel
| style="text-align:left;" | West Asia
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| Haaretz
| style="text-align:left;" | Tel Aviv
| 1919
| Hebrew and English
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|La Stampa
| style="text-align:left;" | Turin
|1867
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| style="text-align:left;" | Jamaica
| style="text-align:left;" | North America
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| The Gleaner
| style="text-align:left;" | Kingston
| 1834
|English
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| rowspan="4" style="text-align:left;" | Japan
| rowspan="4" style="text-align:left;" | East Asia
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| The Asahi Shimbun
| style="text-align:left;" | Osaka
| 1879
| rowspan="4" | Japanese and English
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|Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei)
| rowspan="3" style="text-align:left;" | Tokyo
|1876
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|Yomiuri Shimbun
|1874
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|Mainichi Shimbun
|1872
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| style="text-align:left;" | Kenya
| style="text-align:left;" | East Africa
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| Daily Nation
| style="text-align:left;" | Nairobi
| 1960
| English
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| style="text-align:left;" | Lebanon
| style="text-align:left;" | West Asia
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|An-Nahar
| style="text-align:left;" | Beirut
|1933
|Arabic
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| style="text-align:left;" | Malaysia
| style="text-align:left;" | Southeast Asia
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| New Straits Times