Novine, kao jedan od masovnih medija u suvremenom informacijskom društvu, obavljaju četiri temeljne uloge: informiranje, zabavu, uvjeravanje i transmisiju kulture. Navedenim ulogama novina mogu se dodati i obrazovna uloga, psihoterapeutska uloga te integrativna uloga. Stoga se novinama često pridaje značenje specifične javne službe. Usprkos činjenici da je novine vrlo teško definirati, mnogi teoretičari novinarstva i novinstva raspravljali su o tome što su novine. Njihova se razmišljanja u mnogim elementima podudaraju, ali je i danas broj definicija i varijacija o pojedinim osobinama novina toliko širok da je gotovo nemoguće postići konsenzus. Među definicijama novina svakako valja istaknuti definiciju Erica W. Allena iz 1930. godine na koju se referirao čitav niz kasnijih teoretičara te od novijih definiciju Michaela Kunczika i Astrid Zipfel iz 2006. godine. Zbog niza zadaća koje obavljaju u društvenoj zajednici, novine predstavljaju za knjižnice, muzeje i arhive iznimno važnu vrstu građe i izvor informacija te je za ove ustanove i oblikovanje njihovih zbirki pitanje definiranja novina jedno od važnih teorijskih pitanja. U knjižničarskim je krugovima danas prihvaćena definicija novina koju donosi ISBD(CR) : međunarodni standardni bibliografski opis serijskih publikacija i druge neomeđene građe.Newspapers, as one of the most popular mass media forms in modern information society, perform four basic functions: information, entertainment, persuasion, and the transmission of culture. These can easily be accompanied by their educational, psychotherapeutic, and integrative functions. That is why newspapers are often given the meaning of a specific public service. Despite the fact that newspapers are very difficult to define, many theoreticians of journalism have debated what the newspapers really are. Their opinions correspond in many aspects, but even today there are so many definitions and variations on certain newspaper features that it is almost impossible to achieve a consensus.
Among many newspaper definitions we point out the one given by Eric W. Allen in 1930, which has been referred to by a number of later scholars. Among more recent ones are the definitions by Kunczik Michael and Astrid Zipfel given in 2006. Since newspapers have many functions in social communities they represent important material and source of information for libraries, museums, and archives. That is why they find the question of defining newspapers important, too. In library circles the generally accepted definition of newspapers today is the one given in ISBD(CR): International Standard Bibliographic Description for Serials and Other Continuing Resources
