What is a newspaper?

A newspaper contains articles focused on current events and is published:

• Daily or weekly (periodically)
• In print and digital formats

Note: Ads, cartoons, editorials, interviews, letters or reviews can be cited in Advanced.

How does a newspaper article differ from a magazine?

• Concise headline
• Lead sentences contain the key facts (who, what, where, when and why)
• Reports daily news

How do I evaluate an article?

Is the evidence strong?

• Are the journalist's sources credible, current and relevant? Are they presented accurately?
• Can I verify information in other types of media (e.g., journals, magazines, reports)?
• If there is a study or poll, is the sample size large enough to represent the population accurately?

Is the article written objectively?

• Are all views explained in neutral language?
• Do the conclusions follow logically from the analysis?

How does this source fit?

• Does this add a different point of view?
• Does this make sense, given what I already know?

How do I evaluate a reporter's authority?

Search the author's name to identify expertise like:

• A reporting focus
• Subject knowledge (e.g., author of a book)
• First-hand knowledge of people and events
• Relevant work experience

Tip: If the writer is a citizen journalist (a volunteer contributor not trained as a reporter), the article may have been posted without being fact-checked or edited. Evaluate the content thoroughly.

How do I cite a newspaper article?

Gather elements for your citation from the online or print newspaper.

• Author(s)
• Title
• Section
• Pages
• Newspaper name
• City of publication
• Month, day, year of publication
• Edition