Lifelong Library Emeriti ProgramNewspapers:

Read All About It Online!

PROGRAM• Michael Unsworth:

“Newspapers in the Digital Age”

• Michael Rodriguez: “Digital Newspaper Resources”

• Jon Harrison: “Finding Your Newspaper Online”

Newspapers in the Digital Age

Michael E. Unsworth

MSU Libraries

unsworth@msu.edu

Current Tribulations:www.onthemedia.org/

OUTLINE• Nature &

Function

• Modes:–Print

–Microfilm

–Digital

• Observations and Remarks

Nature and Function of Newspapers

WHAT IS A NEWSPAPER?AN EXISTENTIAL MATTER

15 USCS § 1802: "a publication produced on newsprint paper which is published in one or more issues weekly (including as one publication any daily newspaper and any Sunday newspaper published by the same owner in the same city, community, or metropolitan area), and in which a substantial portion of the content is devoted to the dissemination of news and editorial opinion.”

EDITIONS

From 1990-2009, it had:

• L.A. ed.

• Orange County ed. (ceased)

• Venture County ed.

• Inland Empire ed.

• San Diego County ed. (ceased)

• National ed. (ceased)

Constantly Evolving

Partial Genealogy. In 1956:

1. Examiner (Brooklyn, N.Y.) MERGED WITH American Hebrew (1935 ) TO BECOME

2. American examiner

3. Jewish week and the American examiner

4. New York Jewish week and the American examiner

5. New York Jewish Week

PRINT MODE

ACCESSING CONTENT WAS DIFFICULT

MICROFILM MODE

PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INDEXES

DIGITAL MODE

INDEXING

• Keyword, e.g. Factiva (articles from hundreds of newspapers): trash or garbage or solid waste

• Subject, e.g., National Newspaper Abstracts (of 3 major newspapers): waste materials

AGGREGATOR PROLIFERATION

DIGITIZATION PROJECTS

MOST HISTORICAL NEWSPAPERS ARE DIGITIZED FROM MICROFILM

FREE ARTICLE FROM GOOGLE NEWS

Observations and Remarks

YOU GET WHAT PAY FOR

DATA LOSS

“Huggins said that he sold Paper of Record to Google in 2006, but that the deal was secret until late last year, when Google exercised its right to have Huggins stop managing the site. At that point, Huggins expected a transition to having the material appear on Google, but the material just disappeared from public view. “

EDITION CONFUSION EXACERBATED:

WHICH ONE SHOULD BE ARCHIVED?

ARE VIDEOS ARCHIVED?

MICROFILM HAS ITS USES

SUMMING UP• Nature &

Function of Newspapers

• Modes:–Print

–Microfilm

–Digital

END