Telephone, Telegraph, Pony Express, etc.
hardwired phones, CB radio, letters, telegrams, visiting, etc.
NO! Radio was in use well before world war 1!!!!
Before radio, people got their news primarily from newspapers. There was also neighborhood gossip, or word of mouth. That was it.
bikes
Buttons.
benches
pickaxes
carriages
horses or their feet.
Brief case
wall sockets
We used letters.