Guest post by Kristina De Voe, English and communication librarian
Temple University Libraries is celebrating National News Literacy Week from February 2 to February 6, 2026. National News Literacy Week is an annual initiative that underscores the vital role of news literacy in a democracy.
What is News Literacy?
News literacy, according to News Literacy Project, a nonpartisan education nonprofit, is “the ability to determine the credibility of news and other information and to recognize the standards of fact-based journalism to know what to trust, share and act on.”
In a world where algorithms drive the news content that appears in social media feeds, news literacy is essential. It teaches you how to evaluate daily news and information—not what to think about specific sources. Developing healthy skepticism about information quality doesn’t mean becoming cynical; it means becoming informed.
Access Digital Newspapers and Magazines
The Libraries offer free access to major newspapers and magazines, including The Philadelphia Inquirer, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, and The Washington Post. These are available to the Temple community via our library databases. Stay current on news and events from any device. Explore options in our Find Newspapers guide.
Pro Tip: Wonder if we have a specific magazine or newspaper online? Search Library Search by title. If we have it, you’ll see which databases carry it and a direct link.
National News Literacy Week Events at Temple
To mark National News Literacy Week, the Libraries will offer the following online workshops:
Manage Your News Media Diet
Tuesday, February 3 | 12:00 PM | Register
Tired of hitting paywalls when you go to read a news article? Looking to separate news from ‘newsy’? Join us as we highlight how to access local, national, and international news sources using Temple Libraries’ news databases. You’ll see what information you’re able to gather while strengthening your understanding of bias
Beyond the Headlines: Newspapers as Historical Evidence
Wednesday, February 4 | 12:00 PM | Register
Newspapers are like “the first rough draft of history” and are an invaluable resource when researching events, individuals, and issues in the context of their time. Because newspaper articles are sometimes the only record of historical events, scholars from a variety of disciplines can benefit from them. Join us to gain strategies for conducting historical newspaper research with a discerning eye, using the Libraries’ vast historical newspaper database collections.
Read Between the Lines: Decoding Charts and Graphs in the News
Friday, February 6 | 12:00 PM | Register
News stories are packed with charts, graphs, and statistics, but are they telling the whole truth? Gain the skills to read charts critically, question what you’re seeing, and make informed judgments about the data that drives today’s headlines.
We hope you will join us for our National News Literacy Week events!