Types of Information
Opinion Journalism: Opinion journalism is intended to express a point of view to provoke discussion or persuade the reader one way or another. Often the author will use “I” statements and clearly include their personal view. They can be editorials, letters to the editor and columns in newspapers.
News Journalism: News journalism is meant to inform rather than persuade the reader. It will have multiple viewpoints (usually not the author’s) and includes fact-based evidence.
Lateral Reading: Lateral reading is a way to confront bias and misinformation in news. It involves searching for information on the new source in places other than the source’s website as well as reading about a topic from many different resources.
Tools for Understanding Media Bias
Articles for Activity
Questions:
- Is this an opinion piece or a fact-checked piece? How do you know?
- Who is their intended audience? (local vs national, particular community) How does this affect the reporting?
- What types of bias do you see? How can you tell?
- What is missing from this article?
- Does the article give sources for their information?
Newspaper Databases
- Catalog Newspapers SearchThe library catalog lets you search in many newspapers. You can use this link, or you can click "Newspapers search" at the bottom of your normal search results page.
- Global Newsstream This link opens in a new window Provides access to current, full-text newspapers including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, The Boston Globe, Newsday, and Los Angeles Times as well as over 80 Gannett regional and local titles. In addition, Global Newsstream content also includes newswires, news journals, television and radio transcripts, blogs, podcasts, and digital-only websites.
- Access World NewsA new source that lets you access and search through lots of different news articles from around the world. It's great for doing automatic advanced keyword searches based on popular topics.
New York Times
- New York Times Website This link opens in a new window
This link opens in a new window
Complete access to the New York Times online edition (nytimes.com) from 1980 through the present. Users must create an account using their LUC email, to gain access to nytimes.com from any web browser or smart phone app, on or off campus, with no monthly limits on article access. This resource is limited to current students, faculty, and staff. Note: HSL students/faculty/staff need to sign up via http://accessnyt.com
Wall Street Journal
- Wall Street Journal This link opens in a new windowFull-text news articles covering business, economics, and finances. Coverage: 1984 - present. Users must register to access resource. Every 180 days users must refresh (or click through the Libraries’ link again). Please register here: WSJ.com/LUC before attempting to access this resource.
Washington Post
- Washington Post (website) This link opens in a new windowUnlimited access to WashingtonPost.com content. First time users need to create an account from https://www.washingtonpost.com. Click Sign In, then click Sign Up. Enter your LUC email address and agree to the terms of service. Go to your "Account Settings", click on the "My subscriptions"; tab, and click "Activate free digital access" to get free access to the Post. Email verification will follow.