Research Guides: Advertising and Society: ADV 3002: Find Trade Pubs & News Coverage

Why Trade Journals?

Question: What value lies in trade journals? Why would a researcher choose a trade journal over a newspaper or even a scholarly journal?

Answer: Trade journals can be great resources for behind-the-scenes industry information because they report on trends, new products, and techniques useful to people already in that trade or business. The articles are short in length and can supply names, dates, facts and figures, along with quotes.

Why Use News?

News sources (newspapers, magazines, news blogs, news broadcasts, news feeds, etc.) are written by reporters and journalists on topics of current interest.

When and Why You Should Use News Sources:

You need information on a recent event or topic of interest
You need eyewitness accounts of events
You need reports on activities of state and local government
You need insights into local culture, arts & entertainment
You need perspectives from underrepresented groups
You need sources that advocate a particular viewpoint or opinion

Remember: Not all news sources are created equal! Some have hidden (or obvious!) biases or motives. Do some background research into who owns the news organization to learn more about it.

Find Trade Publications in Business & Media-Related Databases

Business Source Complete This link opens in a new window
Contains full-text articles on all aspects of business, like management, company histories, industry information, etc.
Communication & Mass Media Complete This link opens in a new window
Contains full-text articles on all aspects of Communication & Mass Media Studies, including advertising, broadcasting, journalism, mass media, and more.
Gale Business: Insights This link opens in a new window
Contains company and industry profiles, company brand information, rankings, investment reports, company histories, and more.

Specific Trade Publications to Browse

Ad Age (formerly Advertising Age)
Contains reports on all aspects of advertising, including interactive media, marketing research, sales promotion, and brand management.
AdWeek
Covers media news, including print, technology, advertising, branding and television.
Bloomberg Businessweek
Provides comprehensive coverage of news and developments affecting the business world. Includes information on computers, finance, labor, industry, marketing, science and technology.
Fast Company
Aims to empower the innovators to challenge convention and create the future of business.

Find Newspaper & Magazine Articles in News Databases

Need to search for current newspaper or magazine articles - from multiple perspectives? Try using the sources below.

Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Contains newspapers, newswires, blogs, radio and tv transcripts, plus legal and business-related research.
Access World News This link opens in a new window
Includes articles from major national and international newspapers, as well as local and regional titles in addition to newswires, blogs, web-only content, videos, journals, magazines, transcripts and more.
Ethnic Newswatch This link opens in a new window
Contains full-text articles appearing in numerous U.S. racial and ethnic minority newspapers, consumer magazines, and some journals published since 1995, focusing on African American, American Indian, Asian American, and U.S. Latino publications.