You don't need newspaper, though newspaper in the form of flyers and other free publications aren't usually hard to find. But just about anything will work. Any kind of paper, cardboard, a piece of cotton from an old t-shirt, whatever can hold the sugar above the top bars. If the cluster is a half decent size and is rising above the top bars, cut a hole in the middle of whatever you use for holding the sugar, and the bees should be able to crawl through the hole to access the sugar. I've done the same thing with inner covers if they're close to the top bars and the bees are clustering high. Pour sugar on the inner cover surrounding the inner cover hole and the bees, again, will crawl through the hole to access the sugar (usually).
Dropping in sugar bricks is even easier. 12 parts sugar, 1 part water. Let it harden over a day or two in paper plates or tinfiol containers and then slip them over the top bars, preferably directly above the clusters.
Works for me anyway. Good luck.