In this blog article I share step by step tips on how to use Newspapers.com! A website that is incredibly helpful for genealogists to search for family history information.

Read on to learn about creating an account, subscription options, and navigating the website to search for records.

Creating an Account

Before you begin using newspapers.com you will need to select a subscription plan. (more details further down in this article)

There is a 7 day free trail available for first time users – Click my affiliate link to learn more:

Free 7 Day Newspapers Trail

But be sure to come back to this article to read more tips!

If you have chosen a paid subscription, you will create an account with your email, a password, and a username.

This information will be what you use to log in to your profile for searching and saving articles.

| Related Article: 5 Things to Find on Newspapers.com

How to Use Newspapers.com

When you log in to your account you will see a search box for: Keyword (keyword, phrase, or name), Date (exact or range), and Location (City/Town, County, State, Country)

When you conduct a search, you need to include a keyword, but the date and location is optional.

After you officially click the Search tool, you will see a results page. This will show images of newspaper clippings, featuring the name of the paper, the location, and the date.

You can click on each image to see the full newspaper page. Sections that match or are similar to what you searched for, will be highlighted and stand out.

There are options to zoom in and out, and click left/right to view additional papers.

On the right side of the screen (on a computer), on the Results Page, you will see a map of the country you are searching. Areas that have news clippings related to your search will be highlighted in blue or red.

Start Reading!

Now this part can be both fun and a bit difficult. You simply have to sort through the newspaper results to see if the pages offered are in fact what you are looking for.

It can sometimes be a challenge as many things may sort of match, while also having nothing to do with your specific search.

For example, if you searched a common name like “Smith” you will have thousands of results.

So try to be as specific as possible with your keyphrase, location, and dates.

| Related Article: Importance of Obituaries

A Guide to Save Newspaper Clippings

If you found a match in records, Congratulations! Now you can save that clipping!

When you view the news page, you can save the file by Clipping, Downloading, Printing, Sharing, or Saving to Ancestry (if you have an account with them)

For clipping, you are able to select and move a square around the section you would like to save.

Next, type in a Title and Tags, chose your Privacy Setting preference (visible to all users or private) and click Save Clipping.

This will then save this newspaper article to the “My Clippings” section of your account.

So now you can go back to view the article at a later date.

Other Features

Besides the general search box, on your home page, at the very top, there is a menu:

Home-Search-Browse- Papers-Clippings-Topics

You can chose various options from these drop down tabs. Sometimes tailored by your existing saved and searched items.

There are also features to search by Newspaper Name and Special Topics.

Sometimes around holidays or historical events it will suggest relatable articles.

| Related Article: Ancestors in Yearbooks

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How Using Newspapers.com helps Family Tree Research

Articles provide insight of little snippets of details about your ancestors.

Such as places they lived, community organizations they were a part of, areas of employment, connections to family members and more!

War draft lists are also commonly featured across multiple community papers.

Letters to the Editor may also surprise you. (I once found a photo of my Great-Aunt and Uncle this way!)

Sometimes old newspapers have interesting simple notes such as when people came in to town to visit loved ones and friends.

One of the most important news clippings are obituaries.

While they are one of the most difficult things to write, it does essentially outline a person’s life from beginning to end. Never overlook any information in an obituary.

However, with all research, please do keep in mind that sometimes there are errors so it is important to fact check compared to other sources.

How much does Newspapers.com subscription cost?

If you’d like to try Newspapers.com before signing up for a subscription here is my affiliate link for a free trail, click here:

Free 7 Day Newspapers Trail

What is the difference between News Basic and Publisher Extra?

Basic Package

The basic version subscription at the time of this writing (May 2023) has two payment options. There is a 6 month plan for $44.95, or payment per month for $7.95. The 6 month plan saves approximately $2.75 compared to paying for each month individually.

The basic package comes offers 236 million+ pages from 21812 newspapers dating back to 1690, content is continually updated, and easy clipping and sharing features.

Publisher Extra Package

This plan also offers a 6 month bundle or pay per month. The 6 month fee is $74.90 or a monthly plan of $19.90 per month. Paying for 6 months saves approximately $44.50 instead of monthly payments.

This package comes with the same features in the Basic program, plus 626 million+ additional pages licensed from publishers, and archives through to most recent months.

| Related Article: 5 Things to Find on Newspapers.com

Gifting Option

If you have a genealogy enthusiast in your family, you can also give the gift of a Newspapers.com subscription!

Frequently asked questions are also listed for any questions you may have.

Click here to view this link – Gifting

Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com Bundle

Now it is important to note, if you have a paid Ancestry.com account, some Newspapers.com content is included. But that does not have everything that is included in the Publishers Extra subscription.

To learn more about Newspapers.com connected with Ancestry.com, click here: https://support.ancestry.com/s/article/Newspapers-com-Collections-FAQ?

Is Newspapers.com Worth It?

I would have to say – Yes! While it can take time, patience, and dedication to find what you are looking for, it is a very helpful tool.

These articles being preserved save moments in time, ways of life, and historical events.

I do admit, I wish there were more options for narrowing down search results, and more exact match areas. But maybe over time and through new technologies this will be possible.

Conclusion

If you have read this whole article, I’m sorry for how many times I use the phrase “Newspapers.com” !

But that was difficult to work around! I hope these tips can help you search for more family details to continue building your family tree!

If you decide to sign up and find some great articles, I would love to hear about it!

Send me a message on Pinterest or Threads at @RLSPhotogenic, or write me an email at RebekkaRLSPhotogenic@gmail.com

For more Genealogy Articles visit:

https://rlsphotogenic.com/category/genealogy-family-research/

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