Journalism in history, history in journalism: A historiographical critique of the newspaper as a source material for research

Marvin R. Soriano

Volume 5 Issue 2, June 2025

Abstract

This historiographical critique explores the dual function of newspapers as both historical records and active agents in shaping historical narratives. It interrogates the value and limitations of newspapers as source material in historical research, emphasizing their potential to provide rich, contemporaneous insights into past events, while also cautioning against their inherent biases and ideological underpinnings. Drawing from media theory and critical historiography, the paper employs an interdisciplinary methodology that includes content and comparative analysis of literature from media studies, journalism, and history. This approach uncovers how newspapers reflect societal norms, power structures, and political agendas, thereby shaping not only public opinion but also historical interpretation. The study highlights the methodological challenges in using newspapers as sources, such as editorial bias, selective reporting, and the political economy of print media. Despite these challenges, the paper demonstrates that newspapers, when critically examined and contextually grounded, can serve as valuable and corroborative materials for understanding historical processes. It underscores the importance of treating newspapers not merely as passive channels of information but as dynamic texts that both mirror and mold historical consciousness. Ultimately, the study advocates for a critical and reflexive engagement with newspapers in historiographical work, proposing that with careful analysis and triangulation with other sources, newspapers can enhance the depth and nuance of historical inquiry. By situating newspapers within their broader cultural and political contexts, researchers can better appreciate their role in both documenting and constructing the past, thus affirming their relevance and reliability in historical scholarship.

Keywords

Author information & Contribution

Disclosure statement

Funding

Institutional Review Board Statement

Data and Materials Availability

AI Declaration

Notes

Acknowledgement

References

Aboitiz, N. (2020). Asian place, Filipino nation: A global intellectual history of the Philippine Revolution, 1887–1912. Columbia University Press.

Arao, D.A. (2007, April 20). My views on campus journalism and the Philippine Collegian. http://risingsun.dannyarao.com/2007/04/20/my-views-on-campus-journalism-and-philippine-collegian/

Bo, S. (2005). Methodological and substantive remarks on myth, memory, and history in the construction of a European community. German Law Journal. https://doi.org/10.1017/S2071832200013626

Cambridge University Faculty of History (n.d.). Reading primary sources. https://www.hist.cam.ac.uk/getting-started-reading-primary-sources

Carr, E. H. (1961). What is history? Cambridge University Press.

Franzosi, R. (1987). The press as a source of socio-historical data: Issues in the methodology of data collection from newspapers. Historical Methods: A Journal of Quantitative and Interdisciplinary History, 20(1), 5–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/01615440.1987.10594173

Graham, K. (1997). Personal history. A.A. Knopf.

Hansen, A. (1998). Media and communication research methods (2nd ed.). New York University Press.

Horgan, J. (2014). The press—the first rough draft of history? Burns Lectures. https://www.academia.edu/20445398/Journalism_the_first_draft_of_history

Ileto, R. C. (1979). Pasyon and revolution: Popular movements in the Philippines 1840–1910. Ateneo de Manila University Press.

Jones, A. (2006). The many uses of newspapers. Semantic Scholar.

Knudson, J. W. (1993). Late to the feast: Newspapers as historical sources. Perspectives on History, 31(7). https://www.historians.org/publications-and-directories/perspectives-on-history/october-1993/late-to-the-feast

Mussell, J. (2011). Review of ProQuest historical newspapers. Reviews in History. https://reviews.history.ac.uk/review/1096

Nerone, J. (2013). History, journalism, and the problem of truth. https://www.academia.edu/5789732/History_Journalism_and_the_Problem_of_Truth

O’Malley, T. (2012). History, historians, and the writing of print and newspaper history in the UK c.1945–1962. Media History, 18(3–4), 289–310. https://doi.org/10.1080/13688804.2012.723492

Partner, N. F. (2008). History and historiography. In Microsoft® Student 2009 [DVD]. Microsoft Corporation.

Rabinowitz, A. (2014). It’s about time: Historical periodization and linked ancient world data. New York University Library. http://dlib.nyu.edu/awdl/isaw/isaw-papers/7/rabinowitz/

Rhodes, J. F. (1909). Newspapers as historical sources. In Historical essays (pp. 81–98). The Macmillan Company.

Salmon, L. M. (1923). The newspaper and the historian. Oxford University Press.

Salmon, L.M. (1925). The newspaper and the historian. The American Historical Review, 31(1), 146-148. https://doi.org/10.2307/1904525

Severino, H. (2008). Journalism and history. In 10th UST National Campus Journalism Fellowship Manual (pp. 7–8). University of Santo Tomas.

Tibbo, H. R. (2002). Primarily history: Historians and the search for primary source materials. Joint Conference on Digital Libraries.

Tosh, J. (2015). The pursuit of history (6th ed.). Routledge.

Vann, R. T. (2020). Historiography. Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/historiography

Hui, W., Chun, A., Watkins, F., & Thomas, K. (2004). New media, old media: A history and theory reader. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203643839

Woodward, E. (2008). Social history and local records: Historical methods, archival theory, and the Library of Virginia. Journal of Archival Organization, 6(1–2), 81–101. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332740802235406

Cite this article:

Soriano, M.R. (2025). Journalism in history, history in journalism: A historiographical critique of the newspaper as a source material for research. International Review of Social Sciences Research, 5(2), 201-218. https://doi.org/10.53378/irssr.353200