The more important news was transmitted by telegraph, but because it was expensive, information was often truncated. California newspapers reprinted news from the East as it was available. News about the fall of Vicksburg and the battle at Gettysburg were generally not available for several days - if not a week - after the fact.

Less consequential news would often have to wait for the post, which communicated news (and often sent hard-copies of Eastern newspapers), but this could take a very long time before the transcontinental RR, completed in 1869.