Newspaper Research
Welcome to the Newspaper Research LibGuide!
This guide illustrates how newspapers are supportive research tools for a wide range of subjects including history, politics, business, and even popular culture. Because they are often used to reinforce historical context, they are considered primary sources; therefore, they are valuable resources that one should not forget to use. The Brown-Daniel Library has an array of resources that can help you locate materials regarding local, national, and international news. Be sure to utilize such informational wealth.
Search Process
To search for your research, it is important to take time and think about information you are trying to locate.
- Identify key people or significant events
- Identify the information type
- Identity the date
- Identify the geographical location
A good starting point is to visit the Library's Database list. It provides a description for each database of the contents which will help you decide whether it will provide the information you need. Also, see the current electronic database list below.
After selecting a database, search it for relevant newspaper articles and full-text of articles.
It is also important to note that when using newspapers and newspaper articles, be aware that they may be biased. Use several different sources to help you create a clearer image of what occurred, and can also help avoid editorial bias.
Current Electronic Newspapers Databases and Resources
In addition to having full-text access on general databases such as Academic OneFile, Academic Search Premier, and Proquest be sure to check out these other databases for electronic newspaper access. Also, a helpful tip, if you know a specific newspaper you would like to use, use the Periodical tab to quickly search our Library Publications and to see a complete listing of that of all the databases that contain full-text articles.
- African American Newspapers, 1827-1998
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Includes print and online-only newspapers, blogs, newswires, journals, broadcast transcripts and videos. Use it to explore a specific event or to compare a wide variety of viewpoints on topics such as politics, business, health, sports, cultural activities and people.
- African American Newspapers in the South, 1870-1926
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Documents the African American press in the South from Reconstruction through the Jim Crow period. Includes newspapers written by African Americans for African Americans, covering current domestic and international events, racial discrimination and violence, civic and religious events, politics, foreign affairs, and local gossip.
- African American Periodicals 1825-1995Covers more than 170 periodicals by and about African Americans. The publications, which come from 26 states, include academic and political journals, commercial magazines, institutional newsletters, organizations bulletins, annual reports and other genres.
- Chattanoonga Times Free Press
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Covers news and events that occur in the Southern region of Tennessee.
- Chicago Defender (1910-1975)
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Black Studies Center consists of scholarly journals, commissioned overview essays by top scholars in Black Studies, historic indexes, and the full-text of The Chicago Defender newspaper from 1910-1975.
- Ebony Magazine ArchiveThe complete digital archives of Ebony Magazine.
- Gale OneFile: News
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Full-text newspaper resource allows users to search articles instantly by title, headline, date, author, newspaper section, or other fields. InfoTrac Newsstand provides access to more than 2,300 major U.S. regional, national, and local newspapers, as well as leading titles from around the world. It also includes thousands of images, radio and TV broadcasts and transcripts
- JET Magazine ArchiveJet Magazine Archive covers art, news, politics and other social topics with an African-American focus. It includes over 3,100 issues providing a broad view of culture, fashion and entertainment from its first issue in 1951 through 2014.
- Knoxville News Sentinel (1887 – Present)
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This historical newspaper provides genealogists, researchers and scholars with online, easily-searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the politics, society and events of the time.
- Memphis Commercial Appeal (1847 – Present)
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This historical newspaper provides genealogists, researchers and scholars with online, easily-searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the politics, society and events of the time.
- Nashville Tennessean (2010 – Present)
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The full-page images of this digitized newspaper provide genealogists, researchers and scholars with cover-to-cover access to recent newspaper content. Every page is full-text searchable. Coverage extends to within days of the current issue.
- Newspapers.com SE
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What you can find: Marriage Announcements, Social Pages, Birth Announcements, Obituaries, Local Sports Action, News
- Newspapers.com SE
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What you can find: Marriage Announcements, Social Pages, Birth Announcements, Obituaries, Local Sports Action, News
- New York Times (1851 - 2020)
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It offers full page and article images with searchable full text back to the first issue. The collection includes digital reproductions providing access to every page from every available issue.
- Pittsburgh Courier: 1911-2010
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This historical newspaper provides genealogists, researchers and scholars with online, easily-searchable first-hand accounts and unparalleled coverage of the politics, society and events of the time.
- Popular Magazines CollectionProvides access to more than 1,000 full-text magazines covering subjects such as current events, sports, science, health, and more.
- Quarantine and Disease Control in America Part I: Newspapers, 1736-1922Research and read first-hand accounts of American infectious diseases, dating back to the earliest American settlers. Part I: Newspapers (1736-1922)
- Regional Business NewsProvides full-text business publications on regional level - useful for franchise restaurants, retail industry, business planning, or political participation.
- Tennessean
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- Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL)The Tennessee Electronic Library (TEL) consists of databases paid by the state legislature for access by all libraries in the state of Tennessee. It provides databases from Gale, Proquest and other vendors. It also provides sources on Tennessee history and politics.
Print Newspapers
Below are current print newspaper available on the 2nd floor of the Brown-Daniel Library. The Library also has many back issues of newspapers available on microfilm. Please consult the Library's catalog for more information.
- Knoxville News Sentinel
- New Pittsburgh Courier
- New York Times
- Tennesseean
- USA Today
- Wall Street Journal
TSU Newspapers
Tennessee Sate University Newsroom provides the latest updates and events happening on and off campus.
Also browse the digital archives of the TSU's Mass Communications student newspaper, The Meter.
Newspaper Research Journal
Founded in 1979, Newspaper Research Journal (NRJ) answers questions about all aspects of US and foreign newspapers: their content, their staffs, their management (including advertising, circulation, and production) and economics, their technology, their design and layout, their relationships with their communities and democracy, their relationships with journalism educators, journalism ethics, and more.