Primary Sources

Primary sources are the original documents and objects that were created at a given time in history. Examples include recorded interviews or speeches, newspaper articles, photographs, and video or film recordings. Websites and social media posts fit within the definition as well.

Historians use a range of methods to analyze primary sources. As you're looking at news footage, it may be helpful to follow these three steps:

• Observe—Identify and note details apparent in the media.
• Interpret—Develop and test ideas about the source.
• Question—Ask questions that lead to more observations and interpretations that may help you make important connections.

In the pages that follow, you will watch footage from news reports carried on Boston television channels over the last five decades. The lesson will lead you through these three steps to gain a sense of how a camera crew covered a breaking news story. You will then select one video to analyze on your own in a detailed essay or blog post.