Alt-PressWatch is full text database of newspapers and magazines from the alternative and independent presses. These presses provide viewpoints and perspectives to complement and challenge the mainstream media. The subject coverage is on a broad range of critical issues confronting contemporary society including the arts, media and popular culture, environment, journalism, literary and critical studies, political science, government and public policy, society issues like hunger, abuse and genetics as examples.
The data starts as early as 1990 and continues to the present. There are approximately 175 newspapers and magazines from all over the United States and the information is updated monthly.
There are several ways to search. We recommend either advanced or by publication.
Type in your search word in each box. If it is a phrase of more than two words put it in quotations, i.e., "freedom of information act". Click on the search button below the search boxes. This will search all the words in all the articles. This is not the best way to search, yet is helpful if you are trying to locate a hard to find topic.
A better alterative is to type SU(search word(s)). This limits the search to just the subject of the article.
By publication search:
First click on the tab in the upper left of the screen called "Publications". Then either type in the title of a publication or click on the letter that the publication starts will and browse titles.
Once you have a list of issues of the publication, click on the "Search within Publication" tab just above the list of issues. This allows you to search for words, subjects, authors, etc. but only in that publication.
Biographical or Personal Profiles of people is a special feature allowing one to find articles that provide both encyclopedic information, as well as, anecdotal materials about a person's life. This is especially good for finding information on new artists, musicians, etc.
After you type the person's name in the box, click on the "Limit results to": biographical (personal profiles). Click on search button.
Commentaries or Narratives are stories that give background on life styles of the time, biographical information, events, public sentiment, etc. This is especially good for finding information like reviews of music, restaurants, concerts, etc.
After you type the search term in the box, move to the box below labeled "Article Type", click on the drop down menu and choose Commentary. Click on search button.
If you like to use truncation while searching. Use the * (star symbol) to create plurals, i.e. econom* will find economy, economies, economic, economics, economical, etc.
There are two ways to do this. View an article, look at the top of the page above the newspaper's name. Click on Print for printing format or email for sending it to your email address.
Print will bring up a clean printable copy and ask you if you want to print. If you want to save the article instead. Cancel the printer and save as you would normally through your web browser. (File, save as).
Email will bring up a screen asking for article formatting and email address. Note about graphics in the article and which format you may want.
The other way to get several articles at a time. After you see a title you want click on the box next to the article name and then click tab "View Marked Articles". This allows options like print, email as listed above, plus allows you to download your citations to various bibliography writing software. The Library supports RefWorks.
When you are done, click on the upper right screen "Logout and Return to the CSULB Library". Then close your web browser.
If you need to cite the information for your bibliography, follow the instructions for using RefWorks to help.
We recommend these other Databases and Research Guide to find more information on your topic. If these do not help, ask for more help at the library reference desk or via 24/7: Chat with a Librarian.
Newspapers
General/Interdisciplinary
News and Newspapers
Paper Topics
Opposing Viewpoints
Content maintained by Kelly Janousek, Librarian
