newsreel

American  

[nooz-reel, nyooz-] / ˈnuzˌril, ˈnyuz- /

noun

1. a short motion picture presenting current or recent events.

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newsreel British  

/ ˈnjuːzˌriːl /

noun

1. a short film with a commentary presenting current events

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Etymology

Origin of newsreel

First recorded in 1915–20; news + reel ¹

Explanation

A newsreel is a short, informative documentary film. In the early part of the twentieth century, newsreels were usually shown before movies in theaters. In the early 1900s, newsreels ran (often along with a cartoon) before a film. During World War Two, newsreels gave movie-goers news about the war as well as current events at home. The word dates from about 1915, from news and reel, the cylinder that film was wound around for being projected onto a screen.

Example Sentences

It is accompanied by the first talking newsreel, giving it a box-office boost, and won three Oscars.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 8, 2026

Burstein amply and nimbly illustrates the conversation with film clips, newsreel footage, photographs and interviews.

From Salon • Aug. 3, 2024

Sir Paul joined the BBC in the 1950s as a newsreel scriptwriter before going on to edit round-up show Sportsview and news and investigation programme Panorama.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2024

The spot also mimicked cartoon and newsreel effects using black-and-white pictures of Robert Kennedy Jr. similar to JFK.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 12, 2024

Fans thronged into the Uptown Theater in Pasadena to see The Life of Seabiscuit, a compilation of the horse’s newsreel footage.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand