There are newspapers for very small towns as well as large publications for major U.S. cities. The advantage to using a popular national newspaper is that it will report topics of broader, more global importance. Small town newspapers may stick to just neighborhood news and updates. Many of these top newspapers are known for quality journalism and each one has a different set of ethics standards and political/company affiliations. An informed student will take these affiliations into account when using the source.
All descriptions are taken from the publications' About Us section unless otherwise noted.
Small town newspapers are great when your research topic is location based. Want to know how farmers feel about GMO labeling? Check a newspaper for a rural town that produces some of the nation's produce. If you need ideas or help, reach out to a librarian.
If you are researching an area that you are not familiar with, the local newspaper in that area can help you get an idea of what is important to that place.
