The BBC has viewed a military account of how Hamas overran a base, and spoken to survivors and bereaved people. Criers walked through villages announcing births, deaths, marriages, and divorces. Possibly you’ve also seen in old motion pictures that messengers raced back from battlefields with reports on victories or defeats. https://www.dailypioneer.com/2015/state-editions/opsc-exams-to-be-held-every-year.html