Final answer:
A newspaper is opaque and has a rough surface that diffuses light, preventing the reflection of images. Unlike smooth reflective surfaces, opacity and roughness are why newspapers do not show faint images like a mirror would.
Step-by-step explanation:
You do not see even a faint image of yourself in a newspaper because newspapers are opaque, meaning they do not transmit light; light is either absorbed or reflected in various directions. This rough surface diffuses light, causing you to see the printed contents but not a reflected image of yourself, unlike a smooth reflective surface.
For instance, when a sheet of paper is illuminated, we see it at different angles due to the roughness dispersing light. A material being opaque or transparent depends on its ability to transmit light, as mentioned in the discussion about electromagnetic waves and associated properties of materials.
It's important to understand that an object might be transparent to some forms of electromagnetic waves but opaque to others, such as glass being transparent to visible light but opaque to ultraviolet radiation.