Finding popular media sources
Why it matters for nurses: News stories shape public understanding of health issues, an important perspective for nursing practice.
Before you begin: Popular media is one type of source you may use in nursing assignments. See NURS - Choosing and Evaluating Sources page for a quick overview of source types and their strengths and weaknesses.
Browsing key news websites
Browse newspaper, magazine, and broadcast websites for stories with health implications. D
Tip: Don’t limit yourself to the health section, important issues often appear in general news or politics.
Canadian Newspapers
National and local newspapers that regularly report on health-related issues and current events.
Canadian Magazines
General-interest magazines that cover culture, society, and issues with health implications.
Broadcast Media
TV and online news outlets providing national and regional coverage of health topics.
Tip: If asked, don't pay for an article. Instead, go to the Library’s Journals tool and search for the newspaper or magazine title. If the Library subscribes, you’ll see an Available Online link to read the article for free.
Searching for a newspaper or magazine in the Journals tool
Example: Access options for the Globe and Mail
Note: News sources can have different perspectives (e.g., more conservative or more liberal). Keep this in mind when evaluating stories.
Tips for using Google to find news stories
In Google, you can choose to see only news stories and limit results to a certain date range.
- If you don’t recognize the website where the article appears, do a quick check to make sure it is a legitimate news source. Most major newspapers and magazines have a Wikipedia page that describes their history.
- To find Canadian perspectives, add words like Calgary, Alberta, or Canada to your search.
- You can use the minus sign to leave out results you don’t want. For example, Calgary health -covid will show health stories about Calgary but remove results that mention COVID. You may also want to leave out “newswire” articles, which are often just press releases without analysis.
Using the Library's news databases
The Library subscribes to databases that contain newspapers and magazines from around the world. These are especially useful when you need to:
- Search across many newspapers at once, not just one website
- Find older articles that may not appear in Google
- Access full text of articles that might be behind a paywall elsewhere
Check out our News guide for tips and links to these databases.
Spotting fake news (and other suspicious sources)
This infographic offers questions you can ask yourself to check whether a source is trustworthy. These ideas apply to any kind of source, not just avoiding fake news.
Source: International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), 2017. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
How to Spot Fake News (FactCheck.org, 2016)
A video from FactCheck.org (member of the International Fact-Checking Network) that outlines key strategies for recognizing false or misleading news.
Fact Check: How to Spot AI Images? (DW News, 2023)
A short video from Germany’s public broadcaster offering six practical tips for identifying AI-generated images and avoiding misinformation.
Associate Professor, Library
Other resources for your assignment
• Choose a clear, focused message.
• Use only your strongest sources.
👉 More tips & poster templates
• Speak slowly and clearly.
• Make eye contact around the room.
• Pause to let key points sink in.
👉 Library: More tips & videos
👉 SLS: Powerful Presentations