Newspapers

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Newspapers

• Theory, Skills and Method
• Term 2, Week 9

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Introduction

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

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Why use newspapers?

• Provides information that cant be found
  elsewhere
• Provides it in a regular format
• Allows historians to analyse change over time
• Most information quantifiable

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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

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• 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.

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• 5. Visuals
• Illustrations
• Cartoons
• Poster work

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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.

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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)

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• 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

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• 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/