中国近代报刊的产生和发展,是和外国资本主义入侵、天津开埠的过程相关联的。早期的报纸和刊物并没有严格的区分,有的虽名为报纸,却也刊载论著。天津首家报纸,是清光绪十二年(1886)阳历5月创办的英文《中国时报》,有“外人在华北的圣经”之称。
        同年四月十三日(5月16日),中文版天津《时报》 出版(日报),这是天津第一份中文报纸。这两个第一的报纸,都是由天津海关税务司英籍德人德璀琳和怡和洋行总理笳臣集股创办、天津印刷公司刊行的。中文版《时报》由英人米切(伦敦《泰晤士报》驻津通讯员、李鸿章的顾问)任主编。光绪十六年(1890)六月,李鸿章聘请英国传教士李提摩太任主笔,历时两年。《时报》除注重商业新闻外,每日刊载时论一篇,7日刊图一幅,鼓吹中国实行新政。
        光绪十七年(1891)五月,中文版《时报》发行5年自行停刊。光绪二十一年(1895),李提摩太将刊载在中文版《时报》上的论著汇编成《时事新论》一书,由上海广学会出版。此后,天津的报纸如雨后春笋涌现,使天津成为近代中国北方新闻中心。

        The birth and development of modern newspapersin China was closely related with the invasion of theImperialists and Tianjin`s opening-up as a treaty port. Atthe beginning,there was no clear demarcation betweennewspapers and magazines. Some newspaper at thattime also carried theses. In May 1886 (the 12th yearof Emperor Guangxu),a English newspaper,"ChineseTimes",the first newspaper in Tianjin,was founded.It was regarded as "the Bible for foreigners living inNorth China".
        On April 13 of the same year,the Times Daily(Chinese version) was published as the first Chinesenewspaper in Tianjin. These two newspapers were co-invested by Dertring,head of Taxation Department ofTianjin Customs,and the General Manager of YiheYanghang. The Chief Editor of the Times Daily was aBritish person,a correspondent of Thames in Tianjinand its adviser was Governor-General Li Hongzhang.In June 1890,Li invited a British missionary Latouretteas the chief editor for two years. Besides business news,the Times Daily also carried commentaries everyday anda picture every one week in order to promote the "NewDeal" in China.
        In May of 1891,the Times Daily stoppedpublication after five years of operation. In 1895,Latourette compiled all his commentaries in TimesDaily into a book "Shishi Xinlun" (New Commentarieson Current Affairs) which was published by ShanghaiGuangxuehui Association. At that time,manynewspapers have mushroomed in Tianjin,turning it thecenter of news in North China.