Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I was wondering whether the imperium had something like a news station, where the common citizen can find out what was going on in the galaxy.

Crusade into Damocles Gulf Returns to imperial space, Massive amounts of fluff destroyed by a creature only known as Matt Smitth, Grimaldus returns from Helsreach, details at 1700 hours.

Crap like that.

Most likely not. Stuff like that is dangerous. Makes daemons happen.

Nope. News is power. Imperium hates the masses having power.

News is heresy.

Asking if there is a news station is asking questions, and asking questions is the worst kind of heresy.

In all seriousness, the fluff pretty explicitly states that communication in the 41's millenium is very similar to communications in the 1850's. You have a few telegraphs spread out in a wide network, and once information gets to one of the nodes, you have to find some other way of disseminating it.

... and like then, the telegrapher had to risk perils of the warp to send his messages...

There's not one central news agency (which is what you're asking), no.

But there would almost definitely be news, especially on developed/hive worlds. However it'd probably be a lot like the "news" in Nazi Germany. i.e. the massacre of 100,000 troops because of a general's ineptitude becomes the valiant struggle against the xenos/arch-enemy, by valiant troops led impeccably, with a casualty ratio of a dozen to one.

It's worth noting that authoritarian regimes rarely out-right lie. If you tell the populace outright lies, they'll stop believing it. If you twist the truth so much it's as bad as a lie, it's much more palitable. Just ask Alistair Cambell

Also this should be in Background.

Planets of sophisticated enough technology have news, and it wouldnt surprise me if sectors have news.

I suppose they get 'news' in great big doses of propaganda. Say planet 1 of Y system has just been wrested off some tau, then planet 6 would present an airbrushed version of events to the people, as a recruiting tool and to make them feel like their efforts are not in vain. So perhaps only edited good news is distributed.

There would be some kind of imperial propaganda, telling the citizens of imperial victories on hundreds of worlds.

There are technically still Remembrancers kicking around, but they are more chroniclers/historians than reporters.

I imagine any planet of suitable means would have a local news of sorts, and even system/segmentum wide news on very developed worlds....either through ship traffic or astropaths.

I dont really believe that there is any form of central or unified news system within the imperium.

"Would you like to know more?"

For Imperium wide.

No. big no.


I would imagine.... depending on the tech level on the plant there could be a news service.

It would be heavily censored and controled though. probly reporting todays yeild in terms of agri worlds or the production effiency of the forge world for that day and that you should work hard "for the emperor"
maybe a weather channel....

Today on Sirus 4 we will be having a slight chance of rain and further on in the evening we will be having a few scattered clouds and ork war bands.
Ork blood and gutz falling from the sky? We go to our local mechanicus for the explination.
Thanks Susan, yes, latly we have been having frequent down poors of Ork biological elements, including blood and internal organs...

From what I've read in books, there is no news per se but many worlds/ships/space stations have loud speakers spread around the constantly blurt out Imperial propaganda. Reminding people to be happy in their work, praise the Emperor etc. They are usually run by the Ecclesiarchy, so you know the programs are always "praise the Emperor this, venerate the Immortal Emperor that".