Short films about current events shown in movie theaters before the main feature, popular in the early-to-mid 20th century.
Compound of 'news' (Old English 'newe' meaning new) and 'reel' (a spool of film). The format emerged with cinema in the 1910s.
Before TV, newsreels were how most people saw wars, elections, and historical events—and they were often heavily censored or propaganda! Your grandparents had to go to movies to see what was happening in the world.
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