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Newspapers

Newspapers. Theory, Skills and Method Term 2, Week 9. Introduction. Why use newspapers? Where can I find newspapers? What format is best?. Why use newspapers?. Provides information that can’t be found elsewhere Provides it in a regular format Allows historians to analyse change over time

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Newspapers

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  1. Newspapers Theory, Skills and Method Term 2, Week 9

  2. Introduction • Why use newspapers? • Where can I find newspapers? • What format is best?

  3. Why use newspapers? • Provides information that can’t be found elsewhere • Provides it in a regular format • Allows historians to analyse change over time • Most information quantifiable

  4. 1. News • International: probably known, but from a particular local / national perspective • National: perhaps known, but not always, shows communication networks, ships/roads - might have political angle • Local: almost certainly the only source for local news, events, gossip, insight into what society was like

  5. 2. Local information • Legislative reports (state laws, city council ordinances, by-laws) • Court reports: info on criminal prosecutions, sentences, can replace court records if not survived • Elections – local and national, gives details of voting by county/town/village and by candidate • Minutes of meetings of local bodies/organisations • Commercial information: prices of crops, market info, shipping movements • Sport/Leisure activity

  6. 3. Adverts • Shops: shows types of businesses, numbers, variety and how they change over time • Goods: shows advertising practices, marketing • Services: shows demand etc for services • Jobs: both for those wanting workers, and those wanting employment, show types of work in society, who is working etc • Runaway ads: for apprentices (itemises dress, skills, age, gender, destinations etc) and in the USA detailed information about slaves

  7. 4. Opinion • Editorials: show the political leaning of the newspaper and issues that were thought to be significant. • Letters: individual correspondents write about almost any subject, show the interests/concerns of people - public debates • Poetry: esp pre 1900 can sometimes be political or satirical.

  8. 5. Visuals • Illustrations • Cartoons • Poster work

  9. Formats • Hard copy: unwieldy, sometimes fragile, hard to see in archives • Microfilm: most common form of storage now, easy to use and copy from, able to be pruchased • CD Rom: slightly antiquated now, can be useful for searching etc • Web: New e-standard for digitisation. Major projects like The Times (from 1785), British Library Newspaper Digitisation Project (2 million pages of 19thC newspapers online), Early American Newspapers (c.1750-1820). Fully searchable by keyword • Electronic newspapers linked direct from Library e-resources pages.

  10. Sources • British Newspaper Library (Colindale) • Holds more than 52,000 newspaper titles • Currently collecting 2,600 titles (250 = foreign) • Thomason and Burney collections date back to early 17thC • Provincial UK titles from the early 18thC • Major repository of newspapers from former colonies • Also has magazines/periodicals/comics • Will sell films of newspapers • Open 10-5 Mon-Sat, Tube - Colindale (Northern Line)

  11. 2. Local Libraries/Archives • Usually hold films or hard copies of local newspapers • Might have copies of odd issues not at Colindale. • Usually more accessible geographically, longer opening hours, open access to materials • 52 Warwickshire Newspapers held by county libraries from 1800 on

  12. 3. Foreign Libraries / Archives • Usually will have more materials than BL (though not always, BL collection of Irish newspapers better than Dublin) • Often best source for obscure/rare local publications • Better equipped libraries/archives will have ability to copy microfilms, more cost effective than trips abroad. • Library of Congress has 9,000 US papers, and 25,000 foreign. • National Library of Australia has 8,000 titles, with hundreds of 19thC titles online at http://www.nla.gov.au/npapers/

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