Identifying different types of news sources
Identifying accurate and verifiable news content can be a complex task, given the nuances between different types of sources. News content is divided into distinct categories which include: news articles, news analysis, editorials and opinions.
News articles provide impartial information on current events while opinion content attempts to persuade readers of a particular viewpoint concerning an event or current issues through (usually) well-reasoned arguments.
Newspaper Origami from Public Domain Pictures Used under (CC BY-NC 2.0); image resized from original
Subcategories of News and Opinion Articles from News or Opinion by Christine Photinos
(permission to use via Creative Commons license: CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).
NEWS
| News Article | An article written to inform readers about recent events. The author reports essential information (who/what/where/when/why/how). |
| News Analysis | An article written to inform readers about recent events. The author reports and attempts to deepen understanding of recent events—for example, by providing background information and other kinds of additional context. |
OPINION
| Editorial |
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| Opinion Piece | An opinion article by a staff columnist or guest columnist. (If a guest columnist, the writer’s credentials will almost always be identified.) |
Next: Article Examples
| Type of Article | Examples |
| News Article | Trump Impeached Again --- President is Accused of Inciting Insurrection; 10 Republicans Join Democrats in Vote, Wall Street Journal (CSUSM login required) |
| News Analysis | More Than Just a Tweet: Trump's Campaign to Undercut Democracy, New York Times (CSUSM login required) |
| Editorial | Journalism Got More Dangerous in 2020--Including in the United States, Washington Post (CSUSM login required) |
| Opinion Piece | The Lies We Tell Ourselves About Race (NPR) |
| Letter to the Editor | Letters, October 31, 2020 (Los Angeles Times) |