ubiquitin and joseph: The “town crier” didn’t do news. It was more for public service announcements (remember to pay taxes this week, remember to make an eruv tavshillin, etc.). People wrote books, sometimes works of art (the famous Bayeux tapestry), letters were sent. The “new cycle” took years but word got through. The Chinese probably were unaware of western Europe, in part since the area was a bit too primitive to interest them (though the Chinese routinely were in contact with the Muslims and to a lesser extent with the remaining Romans in whatg we call the Byzantine Empire). England and France were well connected, and for much of the medieval period the “big story” was one trying to conquer the other (Jews were illegal aliens in both countries, and we stayed out of politics as best we could).
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