HSTRY 288: The Global History of Human Rights: Primary Sources: News & Magazines

Strengths

• Newspapers focus more on local or national issues and events rather than foreign countries. Magazines tend to be more national in scope -- news magazines (such as Time) and politically oriented magazines (such as The New Republic) cover everything from politics to wars while specialized magazines provide insight into cultural issues and material culture and cover sports, entertainment, fashion and more
• Commentary, cartoons and letters to the editor provide public opinion information
• Photographs and other graphics
• Advertising included in magazines are useful primary sources especially for the study of consumerism, gender roles, material culture, history of technology, and popular culture. Display and classified newspaper advertisements provide Information about local prices, rents, jobs, etc. 

Keep in mind

• Newspapers & magazines usually do not provide in-depth analysis nor do they provide scholarly context for an issue. They really do focus on the who, what, where and when rather than the why of an issue or event.

For more information on using newspapers see: Analyzing Newspapers, Newspapers & Learning to Do Historical Research Prowling the Periodicals