Periodicals are defined as publications issued at regular intervals by a certain number of issues numbered, given the same title and issued in the same type. In addition, periodicals tend to continue publishing without a deadline and have an editorial board. Periodicals traditionally include newspapers and magazines, periodical bulletins and periodical collections. The totality of mass periodicals is called the press.

As a mass medium, periodicals have a number of properties of discursive meaningful communication, characterized by completeness, multidimensionality and evidence of judgments. The duration of operation in the media market and the established reputation provide greater persuasiveness and purposefulness of the audience's perception.