syndication

Syndication in mass media refers to the practice of selling special writing and artwork to newspapers and other media outlets. This content, often created by notable journalists or cartoonists, is not considered breaking news but rather features like comic strips, advice columns, or serialized stories.12

The primary purpose of syndication is to distribute the cost of producing these features among multiple subscribing newspapers, making them accessible to smaller or rural publications that might not afford to create such content independently. Syndicates grant exclusive rights to a feature within a specific territory, differentiating them from wire news services that offer reports to all papers in an area. This model originated in the United States after the Civil War and has evolved to include a wide range of content, significantly boosted by the popularity of comic strips.2