Multi-Source News Story Analysis
Task: Choose a news event, occurring in the last ten years, and compare presentation of the event in three sources. One of the sources must be a “newspaper of record” (New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times), one of those sources may be a newswire source (AP, Reuters, etc.), but the other source must be written by a unique agency (an individual or collective agency). Make sure that the newspaper of record story is not drawn from a newswire and vice versa.
Click here to get a PDF version of the full assignment. You'll be writing a two-three page, double-spaced paper that discusses how the information is presented in the various sources.
Online news resources:
Lexis-Nexis
This database gives you access to hundreds of news sources from the U.S. and around the world. Some tips for finding distinct perspectives:
- Click on "Power Search" in the left toolbar.
- The “Major World Publications” category retrieves mainstream media as well as a number of international papers.
- Under “Transcripts” you will find such diverse sources as CBS News, CNN News, Fox News, National Public Radio, Newshour with Jim Lehrer, and the Official Kremlin International News Broadcast. Keep in mind that “talking head” panels (e.g., “The O'Reilly Factor”) is considered editorial material and is not appropriate for this assignment. In contrast, a program like NPR's “All Things Considered” is considered news content and can be used for this assignment.
- Click on the “Sources” link at the top of the page to find out more about an individual publication or news service.
- Note that Lexis-Nexis offers a University Wire category. This is an excellent way to get the campus perspective on a topic. Be aware that many campus papers also include general newswire stories as well.
NewsBank Newspapers
This link takes you to a collection of databases. Relevant for this project are Global NewsBank, NewsBank NewsFile Collection, the Chicago Tribune, NewsIllinois, and Business NewsBank. For perspectives from different parts of the country, both rural and urban, be sure to check NewsFile or NewsIllinois.
Google News
Google News searches 4,500 news sources on a continuous basis. The sources vary widely in terms of origin and quality. Take advantage of the “Customize this page” feature, or consider subscribing to an RSS feed. Other search engines offer specialized news searches as well (Yahoo, MSN, etc.), but most are not as extensive or customizable as Google's news search.
Link to the list of the 693 newspapers that are available online through the University of Illinois Library. Extensive backfiles are available for some titles.
U.S. News Archives on the Web. This site is maintained by volunteers from the Special Libraries Association. Entries are arranged by state. Many of these newspapers charge for access to back issues.
Finally...
For those who like the feel of newsprint or the sound of microfilm whizzing by, visit the History, Philosophy, and Newspaper Library on campus! It's in a gorgeous new facility on the second floor of the Main Library.