I did that (kinda) with hand shredded newspapers under fall leaves/straw mix last year in one small bed and it was pretty much all broke down by spring. In another bed...a new one I dug up/enlarged last fall I layered whole newspaper sheets with cardboard and topped with straw to hopefully smother any leftover raspberry and quackgrass roots. I made holes in it and transplanted some perennials into it. Well the roots of everything I was smothering died off, but the whole sheets of newspaper and cardboard were still barely broken down even by June. I ended up removing the cardboard and ripped up the newspapers to add back and topped it all with bagged fall leaves that I crushed up.
Normally I like to wait to lay fall mulch down AFTER a few hard freezes with just straw and leaves.

Vera

Thanks Vera. I may shred it & put it down. Seems like it would degrade better.
Maggie