Newspapers & Magazines as Historical Sources

1. Newspapers & Magazines as Historical Sources

2. What is a primary source?

3. Why are newspapers and magazines primary sources? What do they tell you?

4. They … • Public concerns • Current events • Local, national, international • Technologies • Advertisements • Vocabulary – language of the time • Cartoons – some still published today; more political cartoons • Little focus on celebrities, social values • Provide “current” info • Show how events of the past were reported when the events occurred.

5. Major newspapers • Los Angeles Times, 1886 – present • New York Times, 1857 – present • Washington Post, 1877 – present • San Francisco Chronicle, 1865 – present • Seattle Times, 1895 – present • Seattle Post Intelligencer, 1888 – present • Times (of London), 1788 – present

6. Alternative, ethnic, minority, underground, & special audience newspapers • Berkeley Barb • Chicago Defender • The Great Speckled Bird – Atlanta • Helix - Seattle • International Examiner - Seattle • Notes on Pot - Dallas • The Rebel - Montreal

7. Some magazines • Architectural Digest – LA, 1925 to present • Life – Chicago & NY, 1883 to present • Nation – NY, 1865 to present • Newsweek – LA, 1933 to present • Time – NY, 1923 to present • TV Guide – PA, 1953 to present • Variety – NY, 1905 to present

8. How do newspapers & magazines differ? Newspapers … • Journalists • Daily • Just the facts • More local • Quotes • Higher circulation, less expensive • High school level readership • More disposable Magazines … • Journalists, often experts or national figures • Weekly or monthly • More detail, analysis • More general focus, more national • Interviews • Subject specific/trade magazines • May require knowledge of the subject • Glossy, larger photos

9. Newspaper indexing • Historically inadequate • Why? • Newspapers have a bad rap • Difficult – too much content • Little profit, but this is changing… • Many of the major newspapers are indexed. The key is finding the index.

10. Finding the right index There are many indexes available in the UW Libraries. Which one to use? That depends on … • the time period for which you want information • which publication(s) you want to use • place of publication: domestic or foreign? state? city? • language: English? other? • scope: general? alternative? ethnic? • may depend on full text availability

11. Where are the indexes? • On the UW Libraries Web site • Resources by Subject - News • Resources – Electronic Newspapers • Microform & Newspaper Collections Web site • Finding News Articles • Searchable Guide to Newspaper Indexes • On a shelf (in print) or in a cabinet (on microform) in the library • Ask a librarian!

12. What if there isn’t an index? If there isn’t an index for the time period that you’re researching or for the publication that you need: • Use the NYT, Times, or Readers’ Guide indexes available online through the UW Libraries Web site.

13. What if there isn’t an index? • Use bibliographies in books, encyclopedias, magazine & journal articles, and on the Web.

14. What if there isn’t an index? • Browse through a week or two of the newspaper or magazine (print or microfilm or online)

15. Finding newspapers & magazines in the library If the database doesn’t provide full text or a library location: • Use the UW Libraries Catalog • Choose the journal subset • Do a title search for the title of the newspaper or magazine. Don’t search by the title of the article!