A spinning newspaper is frequently shown in television and movies and is used as a transition device. At the conclusion of a scene or act, an image of a rapidly spinning newspaper is displayed. The newspaper stops spinning to reveal a headline that reflects what happened between the preceding and subsequent segments of the film story, preparing the audience for what follows. The spinning newspaper is sometimes considered a cliché, and it has been parodied in shows such as The Simpsons and Robot Chicken where spinning newspapers that have headlines about spinning newspapers have been shown.
In cinema, the spinning newspaper is often accompanied by other similar tropes, such as a newsboy declaring "Extra, extra, read all about it," or a stack of newspapers being thrown to a street vendor from a delivery truck, and then shown in close-up.