Using Newspapers as Historical Sources

Wong, Matthias

Abstract

A world without news is almost unimaginable. As inquisitive and social animals, we want to know about the world around us and of the latest news of import. Before the advent of the newspaper, the news was spread widely and over long distances through letters and word-of-mouth. The advent of mass printing allowed people to reproduce set texts at a cheap price, creating a national news media that meant a farmer in the rural countryside could read the same news and opinion as a banker in the heart of the city.

Newspapers are valuable sources for historical research. A product of the printing age, newspapers were published to communicate information and the news to a wide audience. They contain a vast array of material that is useful to historians of every stripe. Although they may profess their impartiality, like any other source, newspapers have certain limitations that a researcher needs to keep in mind. This case study will explore how you can use newspapers fruitfully. By looking at two newspapers – the Asiatic Mirror and Harrop’s Manchester Mercury – in detail, we will discuss the best ways of approaching these sources, and how we can best utilise them for historical research.

Citation

Wong, M. (2021). Using Newspapers as Historical Sources. In Research Methods Primary Sources. Adam Matthew Digital. https://doi.org/10.47594/rmps_0105

• Online Publication Date: Nov 1, 2021
• Publication Date: Nov 1, 2021
• Deposit Date: Dec 21, 2021
• Book Title: Research Methods Primary Sources
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.47594/rmps_0105
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/3903024
• Publisher URL: www.researchmethodsprimarysources.amdigital.co.uk