Q -

I don't believe the ink has any notable antiseptic properties, but all more-or-less "modern" printing presses use very high heat to dry the ink rapidly - so that it won't transfer to adjacent sheets as they come out of the press. It's the heat that makes them sterile.

Once the paper is unfolded, it should not be considered to be still "safe" for any usage requiring sterility. You need a new one fresh from the bundle.

A few "Civil Defense" manuals have also suggested the "fresh newspaper" for emergency pressure compresses to stop bleeding - if no suitable bandage materials are available. A fairly thick pad, wrapped and tied around an injured limb may also be a workable splint - and here sterility isn't needed unless it's a compound fracture.

The caution was/is usually added to the note on emergency uses - "avoid using the comic and ad pages," since many of the colored inks often used lead-based pigments. "Modern" inks usually don't contain significant lead (or cobalt &/or cadmium, other culprits), but you have no way of being sure when you grab one "under duress," and the older inks are still in use in some places.

John