LibGuides: Social Issues Research: News Journalism

Finding Journalistic Sources

Engaging with journalism in the digital age requires the ability to evaluate the news and information we encounter online. Treat the information you find (in the news or on social media) with a skeptical eye.

Avoid Confirmation Bias. Understand your own Bias and seek out a variety of perspectives for a more complete understanding of issues.
Read laterally. Look beyond the original source to investigate the claims in an article, the publishing organization, and the author of the article. (Sometimes even a quick Google search will reveal relevant insights.)

Use the resources below to find and access news articles.

Refer to the tab "News and Information Literacy" to help you engage critically with the news.

Freely Accessible News Sources

The following news sources offer free access to their news articles or media. Each is considered highly credible as a whole, but it is still important to read with a critical eye. Tips on the "News and Information Literacy" tab.

NPR
NPR is a network of local and national radio stations. Many of their news stories are available in audio format or as podcasts. However, they also have traditional text based news stories on their website. All freely available.
BBC World News
BBC is a UK based station. Their news service is generally considered credible and is freely available online.
ProPublica
Free to access investigative journalism. "ProPublica is an independent, nonprofit newsroom that produces investigative journalism with moral force."
Reuters
An international news organization. You must register for unlimited access, but registration is free.
AP News
The Associated Press is an international news organization, with articles free to access online.
JSTOR Daily
News commentary with links to academic research. JSTOR Daily is from the JSTOR Database, which is a resource for academic research in the humanities.
Pew Research Center
Numbers, facts, and trends related to our current world. Includes graphs and other graphics.

Media Center Databases

We have access to news resources through many of our Databases. You can narrow results by time period (such as within the last week or month) for the most up-to-date news coverage.

New York Times
Access current and historical New York Times Articles through Gale.
Facts on File: Issues and Controversies
This database has great pro/con articles about many current controversial issues. Each pro/con article includes links to other sources related to the debate, including news sources.
Gale News OneFile
Through this database, you can search by topic, headline, author, date, etc. If you want access to an article that is behind a paywall, this database may give you access.

Public Library Resources

Flipster
Magazines are accessible with a Boston Public Library eCard. Includes The New Yorker, Time, Atlantic, Newsweek, and more. App available for personal devices, or access through the website on your school iPad.
Boston Public Library eCard
BPL ecard is free to residents of Massachusetts. Get a card for access to Flipster and other digital content.