American Newspapers as Historical Evidence: Understanding Publishing and Editorial Practices of Historical Newspapers

Newspapers are frequently used primary sources for historical research. However, there are many features of historical newspapers that reflect the society of the past, and the economics of newspaper publishing, which may not be apparent to a 21st century reader.

Newspapers had their own purposes and audiences, and researchers should know these facts when looking into them. This webinar will discuss why historical newspapers presented information in the way they did, publishing practices that readers should be aware of, and preservation practices that affect which newspapers we have access to now (and how you might find some newspapers beyond the usual places). We will discuss tools for learning more about a given newspaper, "reading" a newspaper by examining its layout, and why reading a newspaper in microfilm is a different experience than using a database.

By the end of this webinar, the participant will be able to:

• Identify some aspects of newspapers as primary sources that required skeptical scrutiny
• Use tools that provide information about a newspaper's purpose, influence and circulation
• Discuss drawbacks and advantages of viewing newspapers in a database vs. microfilm
• Track down copies of newspaper editions that were not preserved in microfilm

This webinar is for any librarian serving patrons who do historical research will be well-served by learning more about newspapers as evidence.

The presenter, Steven A. Knowlton, is a Librarian for History and African American Studies at Princeton University. He has published a number of award-winning articles using newspapers as primary sources, and currently serves as Chair of the RUSA History Section-Best Historical Materials Committee.

This webinar will be offered using Zoom. Speakers or a headset for listening to the presentation are required. Closed captioning is available in the Zoom platform. You may interact with the presenter and ask questions through text-based chat. The webinar will be recorded and the link to the recording shared with registrants shortly after the live event.

For questions or additonal information, please contac Ninah Moore at nmoore@ala.org