How to read newspapers and periodicals

Read newspaper and magazines critically. The first step to reading this type of material critically is to be aware of how and why newspapers and magazines exist. Newspapers and magazines are businesses with varying levels of dependence on advertisers for their existence.

A reader should not assume that all they read is objective or reliable reporting of facts. You will need to use your basic reading skills to recognize fact from opinion. You will need to be able to recognize slanted or biased presentation of arguments. You will also need to be able to recognize faulty logic in both the articles and the advertisements. The following is a list of specific questions you should try to answer:

• Who are the major advertisers in the publication?
  
  
• Does the publication routinely emphasize or exclude specific groups, topics, or issues?
  
  
• Where are the most important stories placed in a publication?
  
  
• Does the publication emphasize or sensationalize less important stories?
  
  
• Does the publication omit important facts creating an unbalanced account of the fact?