Newspapers or the newspapers?

1a) The news is all over the newspapers around the world.

1b) The news is all over newspapers* around the world.

Why exactly do we use the even though it is not specifying some newspapers?

"Newspapers" is the plural of "a newspaper". A/an noun = one example (from many) of a noun

"The newspapers" is the plural of "the newspaper".

"The noun = that [noun] of which we are aware. (Historically, "the" is a demonstrative adjective from the same stem as "that/those".)

It is important to understand that, in order to be qualified by "the", a noun must be either (a) described - "the traffic in the town or already known "The moon has risen."

1a) The news is all over the newspapers around the world.

The news is all over those newspapers (and we all are aware that there are newspapers) around the world.

1b) The news is all over newspapers* around the world.

The news is all over all examples of newspapers around the world.

the newspapers (phrase)

From MacMillian Dictionary (American English defintion and example sentence):

the various newspapers that are published in a particular country or area

You shouldn’t believe everything you read in the newspapers.

I found this entry by chance. It never occurred to me that the phrase itself might be listed in a dictionary. I searched but did not find it in any others.

So the phrase the newspapers has its own meaning and refers to something specific, though not in the same sense as the two words would, of course (e.g., "the newspapers on the table").