Getting Started
News and Newspapers: Getting Started
This guide will help you locate newspapers and news articles.
To access materials in this guide:
- Use the tabs to the left to go to the type of news source you need
- Please note that newspapers and news articles are not a scholarly peer-reviewed source. They are a popular opinion-based resource. They can also be considered a primary source in some disciplines. Please make sure your professor allows newspapers and news articles to be used on your assignment.
Newspapers and news articles in their various formats can be found in the following locations:
- Online via the Library's databases
- Print on the 3rd floor of the library (behind the Research Help Desk)
Searching the Library Catalog
Newspaper Search
To search the Library Catalog for Newspapers, go to the main CSUSM Library web page. Click on Newspapers Search.

You will arrive at the Library Catalog Newspapers search.

Enter your search terms.
NOTE:
You can Search by topic keywords: butterflies, Black Lives Matter, robots
You can also include a specific newspaper title: “New York Times”
Click the green Magnifying Glass on the right to search for your terms.

On the right side of the page will be the results. This will list all of the newspaper articles that match your search. The title of the article will appear first followed by author, date, and newspaper title. Last, there will be a short snippet from the article.

On the left side of the page, there is the “Refine Results” section. This section allows you to refine the results you have based on date limites, specific language, or specific newspaper title. If you change these values, the number of results will go down.

There is also a “Sort By” feature in the Refine Results section. This allows you to sort the newspaper articles by Relevance, Newest Date, or Oldest Date. This feature defaults to Relevance.

Click on the Newspaper article title to view more about the article. You will be taken to a new catalog record page with information about the article and how to get it.
There is a tools section at the top of the page that allows you to email the article, save the permalink, or print the page.
NOTE: The permalink is the permanent link to this newspaper article record page.
Printing the record page DOES NOT print the entire article - it only prints the page you are looking at.

In order to access the full text of the newspaper article, look at the VIEW IT section. There will be links to databases that contain the full text of the newspaper article. Underneath the links, there are date ranges for the articles within the database. Select the link where the date range includes the date of the article you are looking at.

You will be redirected to Login page (if you have not already logged in) so that the Library Catalog can authenticate your access to the databases.
Click on the link that matches your CSUSM identity: Student, Faculty, or Guest.

Enter your Student ID and password. Press Login.

You will be directed to a new database page with your newspaper article. On the new page, you will be able to view and print the full text of your newspaper article.

If you have any questions, please contact a Librarian.
Current News & Newspapers
Use these databases to search across newspapers and news magazines. To access full-text of the article, look for the GET-IT Button.
Most Useful
Database | Full Text | Coverage | Scholarly |
---|---|---|---|
ProQuest - News & Newspapers
Search among ProQuest’s News & Newspapers databases |
Some full-text; plus links to full-text via Get-It | 1985 to current | None |
Factiva
Covers news and business information, including Dow Jones and Reuters newswires and The Wall Street Journal, plus more than 8,000 other sources providing current news. |
Full-text | 1975 to current | Some |
Academic Search Premier
This scholarly collection offers information in nearly every area of academic study including: computer sciences, engineering, physics, chemistry, language and linguistics, arts & literature, medical sciences, ethnic studies, and many more. |
Some full-text; plus links to full-text via Get-It | 1975 to current | Most |
PAIS
An important index to political, economic, and social issues in current debate. |
Links to full-text via Get-It | 1972 to current | All |
Ethnic NewsWatch
Full-text ethnic newspapers, searchable in English or Spanish. |
Some full-text; plus links to full-text via Get-It | 1992 to current | None |
GenderWatch
GenderWatch contains publications which focus on how gender impacts a broad spectrum of subject areas. GenderWatch is a repository of an important historical perspective on the evolution of the women’s movement and the changes in gender roles. |
Full-text | 1970 to current | All |
Also Useful
Database | Full Text | Coverage | Scholarly |
---|---|---|---|
San Diego Union Tribune (current coverage)
The San Diego Union-Tribune is the product of a merger of the San Diego Union, founded in 1868, and the Evening Tribune, founded in 1895. Published from an editorial, printing and business plant in San Diego's Mission Valley, it is the second-oldest newspaper in Southern California, and the oldest business in San Diego County; an area known as a popular vacation destination and home to Mission Bay Park, the largest man-made aquatic park in the country, consisting of 4,235 acres. The Union-Tribune has won numerous journalism awards over the years, including the Pulitzer Prize, and features daily news, sports, shopping, and entertainment coverage for the San Diego area. |
Full-text | 1983 to current | Some |
San Diego Union Newspaper Archive
Collection of newspapers published in San Diego under various titles, including the San Diego Union. |
Full-text | 1872 to 1983 | |
Los Angeles Times (1996-present)
Los Angeles Times articles from 1996-present. For articles published prior to 1996, see the Los Angeles Times (Historical) Database. |
Full-text | 1996 to present | None |
Los Angeles Times (Historical)
Archival issues and articles beginning with 1881. Issues published during the past twenty-four years are not available in this database. Check ProQuest or Factiva databases for the material not held in this collection. |
Full-text | Archive | None |
New York Times (Current, 1980-present)
Articles from the New York Times from 1980-present. For articles prior to 1980, see the New York Times (Historical Collection) Database. |
Full-text | 1980 to present | None |
New York Times (Historical Collection)
The New York Times Historical Collection provides full page and article images including the NY Daily Times (1851-1857). The most recent four years not included in this historical collection can be searched through ProQuest Direct, LexisNexis or Factiva. |
Full-text | Archive | None |
African American Newspapers, 1827-1998
Newspapers digitized from 37 states chronicling African American experiences and influence in a variety of events from the early 19th through late 20th centuries. |
Full-text | 1827 to 1998 | None |
Hispanic American Newspapers, 1808-1980
Spanish and English language newspapers offering news, advertisements, opinion and more from across the nation reflecting contemporary thought and activity. |
Full-text | 1808 to 1980 | None |
Historical News & Newspapers
News & Newspapers Contact Judith
For research assistance on historical news & newspapers, contact Judith Downie, Archives and History Librarian.
Newspapers as Primary Sources
Newspapers are one of the best primary source collections for many topics, but should not be considered scholarly or impartial.
These serve as a reflection of popular thinking and exhibit strong biases based on editorial policies.
This page is devoted to historical newspaper sources. All newspapers (current or historical) that are available in full text at CSUSM in either paper, microfilm or electronic format can be located by a search in the library catalog.
Format
When you consider that newsprint has an approximate shelf-life of 50 years, that explains why so many older newspapers are found on microfilm (shelf-life of 200 years.) Knowing this doesn't make microfilm easier to use, but here at CSUSM, we have indexes to the newspapers when available and have installed microfilm reader-printers that will allow you to scan and save the page you are viewing to your H drive, dropbox, zotero, or email page scans to yourself. As we can, we are adding newspapers in digital form to our collections and those will be found in the database collections.
Searching
You can search specific titles of major newspapers from the database list (New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Times (London), and the San Diego Union each have individual archival collections.)
For a more general search, type your research topic (keep it simple) in the Articles+ search box and limit the results to "newspaper articles". This is going to return articles published from a variety of time periods and publications, but you have tools to narrow your results to the left of the results list.
What newspapers do we have?
It is best to have a newspaper title, but if you do not, you can try the word newspaper with a city name, topic or ask the librarian for help!
If you are interested in certain types or geographic divisions of papers, you can do a subject search on 'newspapers' and look through the available subdivisions that reflect more focused topics. Here are some examples of subject headings and sub-headings:
- Newspapers--African Americans--California (newspapers by/about African-Americans in California)
- Newspapers--Albuquerque N M (newspapers published in Albuquerque)
- Newspapers--Bannock Indians (newspapers published by and about a particular group)
- Newspapers--Boston University (school newspaper, generally student-run and written)
- Newspapers--Chinese--United States (Chinese can refer to the subject group or language of publication)
- Newspapers--India (newspapers published in another nation)
- Newspapers --Indians Of North America--South Dakota (Native American newspapers published in a particular state)
- Newspapers--Popular Culture--San Francisco Calif (newspaper on a topic with regional subdivision)
Research in other historical newspaper requires access to backfiles (the term used for older issues) and likely you need to go to a newspaper 'morgue' for hard copies. These may be at a library or a local historical society located in the area you are researching. Many newspapers are not yet indexed or digitized and will require consultation with a librarian or history expert to locate pertinent materials.
CSUSM Holdings of notable titles Print/microfilm/electronic
We have the following titles, with hard copies and microfilm on the 4th floor of the University Library. For papers without extensive archives, contact information has been posted for possible archival access.
Los Angeles Times (1881- on)
Archival Collection Online: Los Angeles Times (1881-1988)
Print: Latest in paper, older issues in the Microfilm Collection F-2
Current issues: ProQuest Direct
New York Times (1851-on)
Archival Collection Online: New York Times Historical Collection (1851-2008)
Print: Latest in paper, older issues in the Microfilm Collection F-3. NON-CSUSM users--You can use the NYT archives search to access free full text (prior to 1923) or use the citation information to access the article in our microfilm collection.
Current issues: ProQuest Direct
San Diego Union Tribune (1871-on) Note this title has changed several times over the years.
Archival Collection Online: 1872-1983 San Diego Union Newspaper Archive
Print: Latest in paper, older issues in the Microfilm Collection F-1
Current issues: from February 2, 1992 in ProQuest Direct
See also: Lower California Frontier: Articles from the San Diego Union, 1870, (book) edited by Florence C. Shipek located in 4th floor Stacks at F1246 .S2 V.2 This provides selected articles from the Union published in 1870 prior to the microfilm series.
Escondido Times Note this title has changed several times over the years.
Online formats: 1893-1995
North County Times (San Marcos city edition)
Print: Latest 2 months in paper
Business Office: 207 Pennsylvania Ave. Escondido, CA 92025 (760) 745-6611
North County Times
Photographic negatives from 1968-2001
Currently only a collection-level record but it will be updated with an inventory to the envelope-level soon. If you are looking for images before this update, send your requests to archives@csusm.edu for assistance
San Diego Voice and Viewpoint
Print: Latest 2 months in paper
Business Office: 1729 N. Euclid Ave. San Diego, CA 92105 (619) 266-2233
Wall Street Journal (1980-on)
Latest in paper, older issues in the Microfilm Collection F-4
Current issues: from 1984-on in ProQuest Direct
Irish Times
Microfilm Collection F-144 for years 1916-1988 (some gaps)
1995-on in ProQuest Direct or Factiva
Times (London)
Archival Collection Online: Times (London) digital archive 1785-1985
Collections (multiple titles in one resource)
Early American Newspapers
Microfilm Collection F-47
America's Historical Newspapers, (1690-1998)
America's Historical Newspapers (includes subsets that may be searched individually)
- African American Newspapers, 1827-1998
- Hispanic American Newspapers, 1808-1980
- San Diego Union Newspaper Archive 1872-1983
Online with free full text
Older California newspapers are available in the California Digital Newspaper Collection. Titles include The Californian (first California newspaper in 1846) and regional titles.
Chronicling America at the Library of Congress is the clearing house for the National Digital Newspaper Program. The California Digital Newspaper Project is a part of this nation-wide effort.
Penn State's Historical Newspapers Online is a very comprehensive and detailed listing of full-text historical US newspapers.
News Archives for US papers is an assortment of papers and sources for browsing
Elephind provides a list of a number of large free access digitized newspaper collections.
Foreign Newspaper Archives (examples)
Mexico Hemeroteca Nacional Digital de Mexico 1722-2006 (note, not all are available open access and all materials are in Spanish)
Ireland Belfast Newsletter Index 1737-1800 An index to the early years of the oldest continually-published English-language newspaper.
Canada Saskatchewan News Index 1884-2000 Index to newspapers from the region. A limited number of full-text articles are also available.
Australia TROVE: Digitised Newspapers and More
Focused Interest Archives (examples)
Union List of Digitized Jewish Historic Newspapers, Periodical and E-journals 1811-2018 with the bulk of titles early 20th Century, many titles are in German or other non-English languages and some titles listed are accessed only through subscription.
Catholic News Archive 1831-1978
Hoji Shinbun Digital Collection -- Japanese Diaspora Initiative 1891-1938, titles in English and Japanese, published in Hawai'i and the Americas.
Full Text Print (Local availability)
Universities
The major universities in San Diego County all have historical newspaper collections. Titles and date ranges can be browsed through their online catalogs or the joint catalog system, CIRCUIT.
Public Libraries
San Diego County Library System AND San Diego Public Library have historical newspaper collections. Titles and date ranges can be browsed through their online catalogs or the joint catalog system, CIRCUIT.
Check city libraries (Carlsbad, Oceanside, etc.) as they are not members of the county or SD Public system, so have separate online catalogs.
Historical Societies
San Diego History Center has a list of titles with larger runs. An article from the Journal of San Diego History at http://www.sandiegohistory.org/journal/1965/october/index-46/ discusses historical newspapers and their use.
Indexes
Indexes do not provide full-text to the articles, but act as a directory to tell you when an article was written addressing your research topic. Even weekly newspapers have so many different articles is one issue and cover so many topics in one issue, it is difficult to locate the desired information unless you have a specific citation. Indexes provide a faster means to your information goal as opposed to guessing at a date and browsing the issues.
Some papers have print or digital indexes. Please refer to the guide for Newspapers for more information or consult the librarian.
News & Newspapers Contact Judith
For research assistance on historical news & newspapers, contact Judith Downie, Archives and History Librarian.
Local News & Newspapers
Local News & Newspapers
CSUSM Newspapers
- Cougar Chronicle
- Available 2012 - present in print and online formats
- The Pride
- Available 1993 - 2011 in print and online formats
San Diego County Newspapers
- San Diego Union-Tribune
- Available 1992 - present in print
- San Diego Voice & Viewpoint
- Latest 2 months available in print
- Escondido Times
- Available 1893-1995 in online formats
- North County Times negatives
- Photographic negatives from 1968-2001
- Currently only a collection-level record but it will be updated with an inventory to the envelope-level soon
- If you are looking for images before this update, send your requests to archives@csusm.edu for assistance
Regional Newspapers
- The Los Angeles Times
- Available 1886 to present in print and online formats
- The Press Enterprise
- Available 1983 to present in online format
- The Orange County Register
- Available 1985 to present in online format
- La Opinion
- Available 1992 to Present in online format
Locations:
- Online newspapers can be located by clicking on the newspaper title above
- Print newspapers can be found on the 3rd floor of the Library
Business News & Newspapers
News & Newspapers Contact Ann
For research assistance on business news & newspapers, contact Ann Fiegen, Business and Economics Librarian.
Business News Databases
Trade magazines and local news
Trade publications report on the industry for the industry, examples are: Automotive News, Restaurant News, Hotel and Motel Management, Sales and Marketing Management. The free web will give you current or sample issues. Premium content and backfiles are available through these research databases.
Harvard Business Review full text
Excellent source for industry reports, company profiles and SWOTS and managment and market news.
Best for all industry news articles, widely used by business for recent news on competitors, suppliers and customers.
Wall Street Journal and world wide news
Excellent for major publically traded companies and international.
TIP: Search "conference call" [company name] to read latest analysis and quarterly reports interviewed by top analysts.
Industry market reports on consumer goods and services. Excellent economic indicator reports. Global perspective.
Trade and Professional Associations
Look to trade association pages on the free web. Many industry and news reports will identify them. Some information is available free, but most is only available to members. Get around this by searching the associatio name for news reports in the above databases.
Examples of trade and professional associations are National Restaurant Association; American Library Association
Local Business News These links provide premium current and full text access unavailable to free web)
San Diego Union Tribune
San Diego Business Journal (limited access via Proquest). Physical holdings for SDBJ Book of Lists
News & Newspapers Contact Ann
For research assistance on business news & newspapers, contact Ann Fiegen, Business and Economics Librarian.
Modern Language News & Newspapers
News & Newspapers Contact Torie
For research assistance on modern language news & newspapers, contact Torie Quinonez, Arts & Humanities Librarian.
Newspapers Mod Lang
Newspapers
Journal and newspaper articles are found in our research databases. Several databases provide material in your chosen language and other databases address topics you may be researching for your class. They all include some of the latest news and research in the field. To find articles, you need to select an appropriate database and if you need help, we are here! This is a listing of some of the databases with languages other than English.
Ethnic NewsWatch
Full-text ethnic newspapers, searchable in English or Spanish.ProQuest Newspapers
Includes coverage of over 300 major U.S. and international newspapers, such as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune.
Online Newspapers, Magazines and News Agencies
A good means to practice your reading skills. Some are offered in English language versions as well--that can help if you want to check your understanding of what you are reading.
Arabic
- Newspapers in the Middle East (listing for general and by country; via al-bab.com)
- Al-Quds
- Al-Shaab
French
- Courrier International (political & world news)
- L’Equipe (sports news)
- L’Express (literary and political reviews)
- Le Figaro (newspaper)
- Investir (stock and business news)
- Le Monde (general news)
- Le Pointe
- Reuters (news agency)
German
- Berliner Morgenpost (daily news)
- Die Zeit (weekly news)
- Stern (weekly magazine)
Japanese
- CNN Japan (news)
- Yomiuri Shimbun (newspaper)
Spanish
- El Mundo (newspaper)
- El Nuevo Herald (US) (Spanish language news published in US)
News & Newspapers Contact Torie
For research assistance on modern language news & newspapers, contact Torie Quinonez, Arts & Humanities Librarian.
Longform Journalism
Longform Journalism
For students gathering background information and developing foundational knowledge on a research topic, longform journalism sources can be valuable for distilling critical ideas and formulating research questions.
Lengthier than your average newspaper article, longform journalism integrates various multimedia tools including video and interactive graphics and data to propel feature storytelling and engage readers. Longform tends to be substantive in content, underscoring immersion reporting, investigative techniques, and sustained narrative (Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications).
Longform Article Examples
Here We Abandon All Destinations
The Everything Town in the Middle of Nowhere
Why Is It So Hard to Stop People from Dying of Snakebite?
Longform Periodicals
These longform periodical titles are freely available on the Internet (limited article access) and via the CSUSM Library's databases.
The Atlantic Monthly (Internet) / The Atlantic Monthly (CSUSM Library) Covers news, culture, politics, technology, and more through multimedia content, articles, and its flagship magazine.
The Economist (CSUSM Library) News and opinion on international politics, business, finance, science, and technology.
The Nation (Internet) / The Nation (CSUSM Library) Established in 1865, one of the oldest, progressive news sources covering a variety of political and social issues.
The New Yorker (Internet) / The New Yorker (CSUSM Library) Features journalism on politics and social issues; includes incisive cartoons in each issue.
New York Times Magazine (Internet) / New York Times Magazine (CSUSM Library) Features longer articles than those typically found in the newspaper.
Longform Websites
The Conversation Independent news source from the academic and research community curated for the general public. (Note: These are not peer-reviewed, scholarly journal articles)
Epic Magazine Immersive narrative non-fiction articles.
Guernica Focuses on the intersection of art and politics. Content includes memoir, investigative reporting, commentary, and multimedia journalism that explores identity, conflict, culture, justice, science, and more.
JSTOR Daily Provides background information on a variety of topics in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. Articles contextualize current events with academic scholarship. (Note: JSTOR Daily does not contain scholarly articles; you will find those in the JSTOR library database).
Longform Sponsored by the University of Pittsburgh's writing program, this site recommends new and classic non-fiction from around the web.
Longreads Gathers stories from all over the web and also produces original content which includes in-depth profiles and feature articles.
Mosaic Longform articles on science-related topics.
Pacific Standard Publishes investigative pieces focusing on social and environmental justice.
ProPublica Nonprofit newsroom producing investigative journalism pieces focusing on government and politics, business, criminal justice, the environment, education, healthcare, immigration, and technology.
The Verge Focuses on culture and technology.
Additional resources
Gathering Research Sources (differentiating between scholarly / substantive (longform) / editorial)