1. Read a Newspaper Adapted from Newspaper Sections and Terms Tips for Reading and Using the Newspaper for Research By Grace Fleming, About.com GuideGrace Fleming

2. Sections of the newspaper Front Page Folio News Article Feature Article By-line Editor Editorials Editorial Cartoons Letters to the Editor International News vs. Local News Advertisements Business Entertainment/Lifestyle Sports

3. Front Page  Title  Publication information  Index  main stories that will capture the most attention  The major story of the day  placed in the most prominent position  contain a large, bold-faced headline  The topic could be of a national scope or it could be a local story

4. Folio  Includes all publication information  often located under the name of the paper  Date  volume number  price

5. News article vs. Feature article News Article  a report ABOUT (not on) an event that has taken place  Structure may include:  Byline – appears at the beginning of an article, below the title, and gives the writer’s name  body text  Photo  caption – clarifying information about the picture, graph, etc.  Typically, newspaper articles that appear closest to the front page or within the first section are those that editors consider to be the most important and relevant to their readers. Feature Article  report about an issue, person, event with added depth and more background details  Structure is the same as a news article, but possibly with more embellishment, bigger size, etc.

6. Editors and Editorials Editors  An editor decides what news will be included in each paper and determines where it will appear according to relevance or popularity.  The editorial staff determines content policy and creates a collective voice or view. Editorials  An editorial is an article written by the editorial staff from a specific perspective.  The editorial will offer the newspaper's view of an issue.  Editorials should not be used as a main source of a research paper, because they are not objective reports.

7. Editorial cartoons Editorial cartoons have a long and fascinating history. They offer an opinion and convey a message about an important issue in an amusing, entertaining, or poignant visual depiction.

8. Fact vs. Bias Consider the difference between which articles are factual vs. the opinions/points of view/agenda of the editorials. The structure and sequence of stories tells you something of bias. Consider the topics and points of view. Determine the bias of the paper THEN consider what’s being left out or the other side of the argument.

9. Letters to the Editor  These are letters sent from readers to a newspaper, usually in response to an article.  They often include strong opinions about something the newspaper has published.  They should not be used as objective sources for a research paper, but they could prove valuable as quotes to demonstrate a point of view.

10. International News  news about other countries  may address relationships between two or more countries  political news  information about wars, droughts, disasters, or other events that impact the world in some way.

11. Advertisements  a section that is purchased and designed for selling a product or idea  Some advertisements are obvious, but some can be mistaken for articles.  All advertisements should be labeled, although that label might appear in small print.  Consider Want Ads, For Sale, etc.

12. Business Section  business profiles and news reports about the state of commerce  You can often find reports about new inventions, innovation, and advances in technology.  Stock reports appear  a good resource for a research assignment. It will include statistics and profiles of people who have made an impact on the economy.

13. Entertainment or Lifestyle  The section names and traits will differ from paper to paper, but lifestyle sections typically offer interviews of popular people, interesting people, and people who make a difference in their communities.  Other information concerns health, beauty, religion, hobbies, books, and authors.

14. Other uses for newspapers  Animal cage liners  Kindling  Packing material  In an emergency, stuff in your clothes to insulation  Window/mirror cleaners  Rub over glass to get rid of streaks  Rub over the inside of your windshield to remove “film”

15. So what do we do with this information?  Read the newspaper  Summarize articles  Identify voice, bias, persuasiveness, purpose  Share the information by talking about it  Follow what’s going on in your community and the world  Prepare to evaluate articles