Primary Sources: A Guide

What were people in the past reading?

Studying the media that people encountered in the past is a great way to consider what people were thinking and talking about in the past. Publications include a wide range of formats, including books, pamphlets, newspapers, and most recently, websites and social media.

When analyzing a publication, consider the following?

• Who wrote this, and why?
• Who was the intended audience?
• Which social groups had access to this and were able to read it?
• What details are left unsaid, perhaps taken for granted by the intended readership?
• Whose perspective is missing from this publication?

For a more complete listing of newspapers available at FSU, visit the main Newspapers guide.