These connections undergirded an extensive system of news circulation, with

handwritten items bearing dates and places of origin. Centered in Germany,

the network took in news from Russia, the Balkans, Italy, Britain, France, and
the Netherlands.[76] The German lawyer Christoph von Scheurl and the
Fugger house of Augsburg were prominent hubs in this network.[77] Letters
describing historically significant events could gain wide circulation as news
reports. Indeed, personal correspondence sometimes acted only as a
convenient channel through which news could flow across a larger network.
[78] A common type of business communication was a simple listing of
current prices, the circulation of which quickened the flow of international
trade.[79][80] Businesspeople also wanted to know about events related to
shipping, the affairs of other businesses, and political developments.[79]
Even after the advent of international newspapers, business owners still
valued correspondence highly as a source of reliable news that would affect
their enterprise.[81] Handwritten newsletters, which could be produced
quickly for a limited clientele, also continued into the 1600s.[77]