[Misc] Good alternatives to British Newspaper Archive?

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Han Solo

Well-known member
May 25, 2024
2,514
Tired of making new accounts to read old British newspaper, is there any free alternative to these greedy cocksuckers who only lets you read 3 articles for free?
 






Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
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Oct 8, 2003
56,150
Faversham










Peteinblack

Well-known member
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Jun 3, 2004
4,143
Bath, Somerset.
Tired of making new accounts to read old British newspaper, is there any free alternative to these greedy cocksuckers who only lets you read 3 articles for free?
I don't think there are any free sites, they will all require a subscription these days. However, rather than taking out lots of different subscriptions to different newspapers, this might be the best site. Offers access to a range of newspapers over the last 300 years, starting from £8.34 pcm.
 


Han Solo

Well-known member
May 25, 2024
2,514
I don't think there are any free sites, they will all require a subscription these days. However, rather than taking out lots of different subscriptions to different newspapers, this might be the best site. Offers access to a range of newspapers over the last 300 years, starting from £8.34 pcm.
Yeah thats the one that allows you to read 3 articles when signing up...

Every other goddamn country have free newspaper archives so that anyone can research the histories of these countries. This is like having fees at a library, completey anti-knowledge elitist nonsense. :tantrum::angry:
 




Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
57,295
Back in Sussex
https://www.newspapers.com/ seems to give you a free week - I can't see a reference to a limit on the number of articles accessible within that week.

You need to provide payment details but like most of these models, I'm sure you can cancel within the week so you don't have to pay.

From there, I guess it's a matter of whether you can just open a new account each week...
 


Perry's Tracksuit Bottoms

King of Sussex
Oct 3, 2003
1,452
Lost
Yeah thats the one that allows you to read 3 articles when signing up...

Every other goddamn country have free newspaper archives so that anyone can research the histories of these countries. This is like having fees at a library, completey anti-knowledge elitist nonsense. :tantrum::angry:
I'd be interested to know who you think should pay for the digitisation of the 60 million newspapers in the (really quite remarkable) British Library collection. Only 20 million are currently digitised so there's a long way to go yet.

Also, if you were in this country you'd be able to access them for free from your local library. Not exactly elitist or anti-knowledge.
 






Perry's Tracksuit Bottoms

King of Sussex
Oct 3, 2003
1,452
Lost
Agree entirely with @Perry's Tracksuit Bottoms.

British Newspaper Archive is amazing value and well worth the sub, if you're so inclined.

At the beginning of my career I spent several days doing research at the old physical newspaper library in Colindale, which is where anyone from anywhere in the world would have to travel to if they wanted to access the archive. The equivalant cost of getting there, even from central London, was probably more than a current monthly subscription, and then you could spend days looking for a single article that may or may not have actually existed.

This was only 25 years ago. The fact that you can now access so much of the archive so easily and search it so swiftly is a modern miracle.
 


Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
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Jul 23, 2003
37,346
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
At the beginning of my career I spent several days doing research at the old physical newspaper library in Colindale, which is where anyone from anywhere in the world would have to travel to if they wanted to access the archive. The equivalant cost of getting there, even from central London, was probably more than a current monthly subscription, and then you could spend days looking for a single article that may or may not have actually existed.

This was only 25 years ago. The fact that you can now access so much of the archive so easily and search it so swiftly is a modern miracle.
I lost a day getting to, looking round and getting home from Colindale for my Sociology A Level research in the late 80s. And didn't really find anything useful (though quite a lot that was interesting).
 


Sid and the Sharknados

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Sep 4, 2022
5,718
Darlington
And didn't really find anything useful (though quite a lot that was interesting).
That describes most library visits doesn't it?

I'm not sure I ever learnt much about engineering from my college/uni visits to the library, but I can tell you that Lincoln and Lewes castles are the only two in England that have two (yes 2) mottes.
 




Han Solo

Well-known member
May 25, 2024
2,514
https://www.newspapers.com/ seems to give you a free week - I can't see a reference to a limit on the number of articles accessible within that week.

You need to provide payment details but like most of these models, I'm sure you can cancel within the week so you don't have to pay.

From there, I guess it's a matter of whether you can just open a new account each week...
Will try that one out! A whole week to play with sounds decent.
I'd be interested to know who you think should pay for the digitisation of the 60 million newspapers in the (really quite remarkable) British Library collection. Only 20 million are currently digitised so there's a long way to go yet.

Also, if you were in this country you'd be able to access them for free from your local library. Not exactly elitist or anti-knowledge.
I have no other opinion than I'd like to be able to read millions of old newspapers for free, which is possible when it comes to virtually every other country under some sort of "knowledge is good so lets have free access to it"-principle.

Anyway, can close the thread, if there was a free option someone would have told me about it.
 


Harry Wilson's tackle

Harry Wilson's Tackle
NSC Patron
Oct 8, 2003
56,150
Faversham
Will try that one out! A whole week to play with sounds decent.

I have no other opinion than I'd like to be able to read millions of old newspapers for free, which is possible when it comes to virtually every other country under some sort of "knowledge is good so lets have free access to it"-principle.

Anyway, can close the thread, if there was a free option someone would have told me about it.
Can you read the BBC web site from Sweden? It is rather good.
 










cheshunt seagull

Well-known member
Jul 5, 2003
2,595
I'd be interested to know who you think should pay for the digitisation of the 60 million newspapers in the (really quite remarkable) British Library collection. Only 20 million are currently digitised so there's a long way to go yet.

Also, if you were in this country you'd be able to access them for free from your local library. Not exactly elitist or anti-knowledge.
The newspapers in the collection were always available to be consulted at the British Library in print or microfilm form. The BL's government funding does not provide any money for large scale digitisation. This project would have meant that a private company picked up all the digitisation costs in return for the right to sell access probably for a fixed period. During this time the digitised, searchable news content has been made available onsite at the Library with some free online access and the potential for other libraries to provide access. A big improvement in access to a unique collection with minimal cost to the taxpayer. Not really elitist just balancing access with responsible use of public funds. OK, I am not totally unbiased as I used to work at the Library but not on this project.
 


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