Colonial news sources were typically disseminated by criers and cryers. A CRIER was a person who would walk through the streets of a town or city, shouting out news and announcements. A cryer was similar to a CRIER, but instead of walking through the streets, they would stand in a public place and shout out news and announcements. Both criers and cryers were important sources of news in colonial times, as they were the only way for people to stay informed about current events.