Research Guides: Human Development & Family Science: News/Media Sources

Questions you should ask of every source you find

Currency

What is the publication/creation date?
Does this time period meet your information need?
When was the last update?
Are all the links up-to-date ( for web resources)?

Authority

Who is the author? What are her/his credentials?
Has the author been cited in other sources?
Who is publishing this information (individual, non-profit organization, commercial)?

Validity/Accuracy

Do other sources contain the same information?
Is evidence given to support the information?
Are other sources cited?
Is the source or website edited, (for web resources) when was it last updated; does it contain typographical errors?

Audience

Who is the intended audience (students, researchers, trades people, children, adults)?
Is this source appropriate for your needs and understanding of the topic?

Point of View (Bias)

Does the source present the information from a particular bias or single viewpoint?
Does the source contain assumptions not backed by research?
Does the sponsoring organization or site have a stake in how information is presented?
Does the information contain advertising?

News as an Information Format

News sources are invaluable as a discovery tool! As an information source, news is current, quickly written, sometimes has an editorial process (for fact checking and content presentation), can be primary or secondary, can be biased, and is not always accurate. You will need to read around a topic using several sources to corroborate the evidence in what you're reading. It captures the conversation around an event or topic in our communities and professions, often pointing to original source material, policies, and organizations that can be used as clues to further your research. There are many avenues by which we absorb the news. Some are freely accessible and others are fee-based. Here are a few to get you started.

Caution: Be critical. Evaluate what you're reading!

APA: Psychology Topics Scroll to the list of psychology topics at the bottom. Click on one of interest. Each topic gives general information about what one can do, getting help, and sometimes there's a news feed at the bottom. There is also a related box on the right titled "Related APA Resources." These will give you even more material to work with

News Databases

National Newspapers - utilizing the databases to search on a topic across several news titles/sources

Access World News Current and past worldwide news sources, including international, local and regional newspapers, media transcripts, wire service content, college newspaper articles, magazines, blogs, video and audio.
Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window News, business, and legal sources covering world news and companies, and including U.S. Supreme Court decisions, state, federal and international law, regulations, and law reviews.
US Newsstream U.S. news content from the 1980s to present, including newspapers, newswires, blogs, and news sites, and content from the Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and Wall Street Journal, as well as local and regional newspapers; included in the TDM Studio text visualization dashboard; please see the ProQuest TDM Studio guide for access information.

National Newspapers - browsing the latest (today's) articles

The Washington Post
Choose the "Proquest Central" option
The New York Times
Scroll to the date range and link: 06/01/1980 to Present in ProQuest Central
The Wall Street Journal
Los Angeles Times
scroll to Proquest Central

Local Syracuse Newspaper Archive

NewspaperARCHIVE.com Great "page view" archive of the Post Standard. Microsoft Edge users will not see print and download menu bar. Use of an alternative browser is recommended (Mozilla Firefox, Internet Explorer, Google Chrome).
Post-Standard Collection Post-Standard newspaper, Syracuse, New York (1986 - present).

State and Federal: what's happening right now in New York legislature and DC

POLITICO Pro Policy news covering agriculture, budget and appropriations, campaigns, cybersecurity, defense, education, energy, health, labor, employment, taxes, technology, trade, and transportation.

Specialized News Databases

American Indian Newspapers Collection of print journalism from Indigenous peoples of the US and Canada from 1828-2016. From the collections at the Newberry Library, Chicago, and the Sequoyah National Research Centre at the University of Arkansas. Key topics covered include community news, public health and welfare, education, tribal laws and elections, sovereignty, and more.
Ethnic NewsWatch Newspapers, magazines, and journals that focus on ethnic studies, indigenous peoples, and the presses from a diverse range of multi-racial, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural perspectives; included in the TDM Studio text visualization dashboard; please see the ProQuest TDM Studio guide for access information.
GenderWatch Articles, news stories, books and reports and archival content focusing on gender.