News Sources

Primary sources are firsthand account information sources and/or raw information. These sources are recorded or created by witnesses or persons who experienced the information.

Secondary sources are secondhand accounts, overviews, reviews or commentary from researchers/authors/other persons.

Youtube video credit to Scribbr

The best way to tell the difference between Primary and Secondary sources is to ask: “Where did it come from?”  Was the source from a person who was present when the event happened? Or were they providing a commentary on events that have already occurred? In some cases, resources can be classified as both depending on the information provided and how it was sourced. For example, a newspaper article could be considered primary if reporting on events as they happen or as a witness BUT could be considered secondary if reporting on the analysis of the event or issue.