The library has access to almost all major U.S. newspapers, many international news sources and many regional newspapers through its many database subscriptions. If you search for the title of a specific newspaper in the library catalog, you will be directed to the databases which offer online access. We also subscribe to a few newspapers in print. This guide will provide an overview of the library's newspaper holdings and include guidance on major sources for newspaper on the Internet.
The Bluebook notes in Rule 16.6 that articles retrieved via commercial electronic databases can be cited using Rule 16.8 and online sources rely on Rule 18.2.2.
If you are still unable to locate a newspaper article using the sources listed here, the library offers Interlibrary Loan services. There are special instructions for journal members and RAs. Also, the Library of Congress, which does not lend their materials, maintains an extensive Newspaper collection. For further assistance, Chat with a Librarian or email the Reference Desk.
When searching for articles that could have been in print or in a digital (online) edition only, it is often best to search for unique keywords from the article rather than the title of the article. Newspapers will often change the headline based on where an article is printed. Also, don't rely specifically on the one date you think the article was published, but rather search within a week range.
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Reliability of a news source is important to consider when citing it in legal documents. News bias is real and should be considered when determining the reliability of a source. As a potential guide, please see this Interactive Media Bias Chart published by Ad Fontes Media.
(image showing a vast array of news sources, from podcasts to TV news programs, along two axes. The X Axis denotes political orientation (from liberal to conservative, or left to right. The Y Axis discusses News Value and Reliability, ranging from contains inaccurate and fabricated information to thorough fact reporting or fact-dense analysis.)
The Associated Press (AP), Bloomberg and Reuters are just a few of the major wire services which provide articles to newspapers around the country and the world. When citing to any news wire article, it is best to cite to its publication in a prominent newspaper, such as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, etc., so that other researchers can more easily retrieve a copy of the article. This is detailed in Bluebook Rule 16.6(d).
For example, if you find an AP wire service article in the Raleigh News and Observer, try searching in the New York Times or Washington Post to see if that publication also ran a version of the article and cite to that source if available. The title may not be exactly the same, but the author and subject should be easily searchable. Here's an example of an AP article retrieved from the New York Times in the ProQuest database.
As a Georgetown student, you have full access to the collection of resources at our undergraduate library on the main campus, Lauinger Library:
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