How to read newspapers and periodicals

Newspapers and magazines are businesses. They make money by selling their newspapers and magazines. However, most magazines and newspapers rely on paid advertisements to make a profit and to keep them operating. Newspapers and magazines need to keep consumers interested in buying their products as well as getting other businesses to pay for advertisements.

As a reader, you need to keep this in mind because it may influence the content, value, or message a newspaper or magazine contains. For example, if several banks regularly purchase a lot of advertising space in a newspaper, the newspaper may contain more articles on about financial issues, place stories about the banks on the first or second page, and include stories which portray the banks in the more positive way. The best way to discover if a newspaper does this is to read the paper over a period of time. Check to see who the advertisers are, whether related stories are covered frequently, and where the stories are placed. You may want to compare newspapers to see if there are differences.

Even if advertiser influence is minimal, writers often write biased or slanted articles consciously or unconsciously. If a writer feels strongly about a topic, they may write a slanted article to convince you to think or act a specific way. Use your basic reading skills to read critically. This means:

• Sorting facts from opinions
• Recognizing facts
• Making logical conclusions
• Finding main ideas
• Recognizing faulty thinking
• Recognizing bias
• Recognizing slant