Choosing a Database

Another way to access news articles is to directly search in specific news databases. To find these databases, use the AZ Databases link. to help you find news sources:

  • Select the AZ Databases link and choose News and Newspapers from the Subjects drop-down menu.
  • Choose a database from the list of databases and use that database to search for your topic.

screenshot of AZ Databases homepage, showing users the dropdown menu options

Things to Consider 

The Miramar College Library offers many news databases, each with different types of content, so it’s important to consider what you’re looking for so you can choose the best database for your needs.

Time Period

Are you interested in news coverage from a specific year or time period? Our news databases cover different periods. Some show historical content from more than a hundred years ago, whereas others offer more current news, ranging from the 1980s to today.

Specific Publications

You might also be interested in content from a specific newspaper. For instance, you might want to see how The New York Times or The Washington Post covered a certain topic. You can find both of those newspapers in U.S. Newsstream, Links to an external site. but other newspapers might only be available in World News Digest Links to an external site. or another database such as International Newsstream Links to an external site..

To find out if a database includes a specific newspaper, look at the description of the database in the A-Z Database List Links to an external site. for the most popular newspapers. If it doesn’t mention a specific source, most databases will list out all the publications they include. Look for “A-Z Source List,” “Titles” or “Publications” from the main page of the database.

It’s also important to pay attention to what years the database offers for specific publications. Some might range from the 1980s to today, whereas others might cover only a few years or even a few months.

Content Type

Some of our news databases offer the full text or transcription of a news article. Others include the actual video, audio, or scanned images of newspaper pages so that you can see the item as it originally was.

Geography/Language

Most of our news databases are focused on the United States and English, but some, such as World News Digest Links to an external site. offer more coverage of other countries and some (although limited) other languages than English.