Page:The Newspaper and the Historian.djvu/97



to what extent has the regulation of the press by public opinion and by different authorities and organizations made it unneces sary for him to reject in toto all forms of periodical literature as

a source for his work; what tests can be applied that will deter mine not only the authoritativeness of the newspaper but also its advantages and its limitations as historical material, — all of these and similar questions vitally affect the student of history

in his use of the press. It is impossible to give a definite and final answer to all, per

haps to any one, of these questions, but at least the conditions to which they give rise must be recognized before the historian is justified in using the periodicalpress as authoritative historical material.