1 - Even though the power of press is real in our world how powerful is it in BG world ?
In Baldur's Gate, limited, as the player newspapers are the first of their kind beyond the odd political pamphlet. The player newspapers gain traction though.
2 - Are there many newspapers ? Maybe none but the PC made ones ?
In Baldur's Gate, only the PC made ones.
3 - Are there many copies printed/produced, are they read widely ?
I understand from the Herald players, something in the high hundreds, with circulation perhaps rising as interest slowly rises. They currently use magical means of reproducing copies and this is likely economically inefficient once circulation rises.
4 - How are they considered ?
They are still a novelty. The public is used to political pamphleteering and Duchal pronouncement, but news for its own sake is likely unusual to them. It will perhaps catch on as some northern influenced fad.
5 - How educated is the population ? Are many people illiterate ?
Schools are for the elite and focus on custom and manners. Generally the wealthy hire tutors for their children. Most are literate, however, usually taught by parents, or priests of Deneir and Oghma. Its the poorest classes that will have higher rates of illiteracy, particularly once one ends the street urchin/beggar end of the spectrum.
Source derived from CK library; THANK YOU LADY HERALD OF REALMSLORE a
ALAGHON: Hambra's Horncall (a dignified, neutral publication that is a less critical review and more of a series of what we would call press releases and culturally-relevant public service announcements; suspected locally of being used by several shady groups to send out coded messages to their members through mock announcements)
BERDUSK: The Twilight Tome (long-established; famous for sly satiric poetry, often features lyrics and short fiction)
ELETUREL: Stars Seen, Tales Told (usually short, with more glowing praise than hard news or nastiness, but prints letters from locals that occasionally erupt into nasty in-print fights)
EVERLUND: Hawkblade's Evenhorn (light-hearted, no-holds-barred, and witty commentary on local events and luminaries, with occasional reviews of what's new or current gossip in nearby Silverymoon; Hawkblade's is a onetime lover of Alustriel who pines for her, but prints everything concerning her beauty, what she wore or said at every occasion, and even detailed accounts of her current lovemaking
HILLSFAR: Beldrouk's Bright Banners (very new, but rapidly gaining a strong local following because of it's frank commentary-- which has made its anonymous authors folk hunted by the authorities; no one quite knows who prints it, but bundles of it get substituted for legitimate supplies bought at the docks, so merchants pay for it in bulk and then usually sell it to brothel-and-tavern-keepers, to resell it to clients)
IRIAEBOR: Malanxer's Tongue (known locally as "the black tongue" or just "the black," as in: "He's in the black, this time around;" Knownfor rants against local public figures, corrupt officials, and less than scrupulous merchants)
RIATAVIN: Dansarra's Delights (Dansarra's was a local dancer and prostitute who died, rose as undead without any intent or preparation of her own part, and went on dancing despite her body being less than appealing; though she long since fell to dust, the writers of this vicious chapbook adopt her voice and purport to be Dansarra's as they gleefully skewer local eateries, plays, and public figures)
Molder: Editor of The Tribune
Valiant: Shrewd, sadistic disguise-strategist; retiring
