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Using news sources

David McGill discusses how to use the range of material available on the internet to develop your skills in using news sources as evidence on the Berlin blockade

You will already be familiar with the idea of primary and secondary sources. News articles and newsreels are particularly interesting because they can act as both primary and secondary sources at the same time. They are often contemporary with events so are primary sources, but the job of a journalist is to collect interviews and shape the narrative of events so in a way they can be secondary sources too.

Newspapers and newsreels often represent a particular political viewpoint so can be one-sided. They can also be inaccurate, as the journalist might not have all the information they need to properly understand and evaluate what is happening. Journalistic articles often differ from later accounts as historians will have access to records not available at the time and can build a more balanced and accurate viewpoint on what happened.

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Previous

Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots

Next

Why were the Vietcong so hard to defeat?

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