Principles of Journalism
1. Journalism’s first obligation is to the truth
2. Its first loyalty is to citizens
3. Its essence is a discipline of verification
4. Its practitioners must maintain an independence from those they cover
5. It must serve as an independent monitor of power
6. It must provide a forum for public criticism and compromise
7. It must strive to make the significant interesting and relevant
8. It must keep the news comprehensive and proportional
9. Its practitioners must be allowed to exercise their personal conscience
Newspapers
Newspapers
Articles from newspapers held Murray Library can be found in Primo Newspaper Search. This includes a search of millions of individual articles from several news databases.
- Global Newstream (Proquest)
Provides full-text for over 1300 U.S. and international newspapers. - Newspaper Source (EBSCO)
Provides selected full text for nearly 30 national (U.S.) and international newspapers. Also contains full-text television & radio news transcripts, and selected full text for more than 200 regional (U.S.) newspapers.
• Coverage dates: 1990's-present
Specific newspapers
- The Patriot-News (Harrisburg) - partial coverage, 1997-2019
- New York Times
• Coverage dates: 1980-present
• Preceded by The New York Times (Historical), 1851-2017 - Wall Street Journal
• Coverage dates: 1984-present - Washington Post
• Coverage dates: 1988-present (full-text coverage includes Dec 4, 1996 - present) - Philadelphia Inquirer
• Coverage dates: 1983-present
• Preceded by Philadelphia Inquirer (Historical), 1860-2001 - USA Today
Coverage dates: February 1997 - present
Historical newspapers
- Early American Newspapers Series 1, 1690-1876
- The New York Times, 1851-2014
- Chronicling America, (1860-1922)
- History Commons Historical Newspaper Collection , (1728-1902)
- The Patriot (Harrisburg) , (1854-1922)
- The Patriot-News (Harrisburg) - 1997-present, partial coverage
- Harrisburg Republican , (1816-1818)
- Oracle of Dauphin, (1821-1825)
- Philadelphia Inquirer, (1860 - 2001)
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, (1786 - 2003)
Misleading information published as news is not new to the 21st century. In the late 19th century we called it "yellow journalism," and its practitioners used sensational headlines and outright fraudulent stories to increase sales.
Today, with increasing reliance on both digital news outlets and social media for news, sifting through the messages for non-biased sources requires attention, and possibly reviewing multiple sources--including seeking out a reliable original source.
AllSides.com has a Media Bias chart. This web site promotes getting news from outside your usual bubble of news.
Internationally, the World Press Freedom Index put out by the Reporters Without Borders group indicates governmental or ruling power control of the media. This does not rank by left or right leaning or bias.
Fact-Checking Websites
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FactCheck.orgFactCheck.org is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania, a nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics.
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Hoax-SlayerDebunks email and social media hoaxes, thwarts Internet scammers, combats spam, and educates web users about email, social media, and Internet security issues.
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PolitiFactA fact-checking website that rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials and others who speak up in American politics. PolitiFact is run by editors and reporters from the Tampa Bay Times, an independent newspaper in Florida, as is PunditFact, a site devoted to fact-checking pundits.
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PunditFactA project of the Tampa Bay Times and the Poynter Institute, dedicated to checking the accuracy of claims by pundits, columnists, bloggers, political analysts, the hosts and guests of talk shows, and other members of the media.
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Snopes.comThe snopes.com website was founded by David Mikkelson, who lives and works in the Los Angeles area. What he began in 1995 as an expression of his interest in researching urban legends has since grown into what is widely regarded by folklorists, journalists, and laypersons alike as one of the World Wide Web's essential resources.
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TruthOrFictionGet the truth about rumors, inspirational stories, virus warnings, hoaxes, scams, humorous tales, pleas for help, urban legends, prayer requests, calls to action, and other forwarded emails.