Antarctic Times

The Antarctic Times was the long-running national newspaper of the High Penguin Confederacy and the Snowman Empire, owned and operated by the Antarctic Newspaper Publishing Cooperation. The rise of events and the need for coverage of these events prompted the government to mandate a solution that became the Antarctic Times, later spawning into a privatized cooperation with only ten employees. During the Khanzem period, the ANPC suspended operations. The cooperation eventually declared bankruptcy amid the downfall of the empire, as funding was running out and lack of interest. The assets were eventually sold to several companies who would become the Newspapers of Olde Antarctica.

It was the first known newspaper to be published and distributed commercially within Antarctica, and also the first media platform to utilize photos, both black-and-white and in colour. It was often the only source of entertainment to penguins prior to the radio, television and computer. The cooperation won many accolades and it's principles is still being carried on with newspapers of the current age.

Origins
In 1774, Sir Hebrews Arthur, a notable editor, wrote stories for each of the events that happened that year and compiled them into a book that was sold to the public to read. It was the first known available reading material documenting recent events.

Fast forward to 1865, when Sir Arthur's book became a bimonthly edition, available at a high cost and limited to the rich and the wealthy. Sir Ivory Arthur, Hebrew's great-great-great-grandson, wanted to expand on the idea. He decided to remove the spine, used A3-sized paper and some other modifications, and the first newspaper was born. It went under the name "Informative Reads".

These newspapers were only distributed locally, and other local newspapers popped up elsewhere. It was only limited to the town's events and never really served a purpose as towns were closely-connected and information would easily reach one's ears.

So, in 1888, the government solved this dilemma by starting the Antarctic Times, a daily newspaper that was distributed in towns within a 50km radius of Mhic Lionadi, where the newspaper began. The first issue came out on April 18, 1888 and was the second most popular issue in it's history, after the last issue published.

Privatisation and free press
Before long, however, the government would have to sell the publication. A startup company, known as the Antarctic Newspaper Publishing Company, acquired the newspaper on June 3rd, 1888. The new management altered the layout somewhat and lowered the price to the equivalent of five pebbles (inflation rate included). The newspaper gained popularity and soon the company had resources to start branches in farther locations, allowing the reach of the newspaper to expand.

As the Antarctic Times was privatised, they were able to do a range of topics as they pleased as the government had not implemented any laws pertaining to media publications. On August the 12th, 1888, a controversial article titled "Monopoly of the High Penguins" sparked controversy, leading to a boycott of the newspaper by High Penguins. The newspaper, however, maintained its stance, and no law was ever passed to prevent such an incident from occurring again. The boycott soon ended, and the idea of publishing articles without restriction spawned into the idea of free press. The company never did publish another controversial article about High Penguins, though.

Invention of the Telephone
In 1892, Saint Alexa Graham Cracker Belle the Magnificent, who founded the Governance, released the telephone to the public, which helped connect penguins easier than ever. Immediately, the ANPC purchased a sleuth of telephones and telephone lines and set them across the entire of Antarctica, creating the first long-distance telephone line. Immediately, coverage of events broadened from the prefecture it was in to the entire of the HPC, attracting a variety of viewers and quickly selling out within three hours of release of the August 31 issue.