GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF NEWSPAPERS

• Audience:  General public

   

• Coverage:  Any subject of interest; newsworthy events; local coverage

   

• Written By:  Professional journalists; some articles contributed by specialists

   

• Timeliness:  Up-to-date coverage (one-half day to a week)

   

• Length:  50-2,000 words

   

• Content:  Dependent upon the type of article: analysis, statistics, graphics, photographs, editorial opinion; no bibliography or list of sources

   

• Slant:  Tends to be mainstream/neutral

   

NEWSPAPER EXAMPLES

• The Palm Beach Post

   

  & La Palma
• Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

   

  & El Sentinel
• Miami Herald

   

  & El Nuevo Herald
• New York Times

   

• Wall Street Journal

   

TRY A NEWSPAPER FOR:

• Local statistical information, such as the number of gangs in Palm Beach County, or the divorce rate in New York.

   

• Local coverage, such as information on how the West Palm Beach City Council and the Palm Beach County Commission have addressed the issue of huge increases in cost of housing over a short period of time.

   

• A recent story about a shooting at a mall.

To locate newspaper articles, suggested PBCC databases:

• America's Newspapers (Newsbank) (on campus):
  for local, Florida and other U.S. newspapers

   

• LexisNexis Academic (LexisNexis) (on campus):
  for major newspapers in the U.S.
  
  (Also Off-Campus login to access databases)

Unable to find a newspaper?  From the database list, choose Electronic Journals (By Title, By Subject) or ask a librarian.

Adapted from UCLA Library website with permission statement as follows (retrieved 15 Feb. 2007):  “Permission is granted for unlimited non-commercial use of this exercise.”  See UCLA website at <http://www.library.ucla.edu/libraries/college/help/selectsource/index.htm>.