Historical News Sources - HIST 600-001 | Milwaukee: The Making of a Metropolis (Seligman) - UWM Libraries Research and Course Guides at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Access

Before 1990
1900-Present

Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Sentinel Before 1990 (on Microfilm)

Digital copies of the Milwaukee Journal and Milwaukee Sentinel, precursors to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel are not available. Early copies of these periodicals are only available on microfilm.

MILWAUKEE JOURNAL (Milwaukee, Wis.: 1890)
Call Number: (MF) AN 06, 1890-1995

MILWAUKEE SENTINEL (Milwaukee, Wis.)
Call Number: (MF) AN 05, 1883-1995

Using Microfilm

The UWM Libraries Microtext Room is located in the Lower-level, West wing of the Golda Meir Library (link to map)
Sign up and ask for help with the Microfilm reader at the Equipment and Reserve Services desk or via phone at 414-229-4673. The Microtext reader can be reserved for 3 hour blocks. Users with a reservation have priority over the machine.
Get the password for the computer hooked up to the microfilm reader from the Equipment and Reserve desk before you start.
Microtext is shelved in cabinets by call number and is self-service.

Milwaukee Journal and Journal Sentinel before 1990 (Online)

Milwaukee Public Library is the only institution that provides digital access to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Archives and its past iterations.

MJS Access at Milwaukee Public Library
Milwaukee Public Library holds a subscription from the NewsBank that provides access to: the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Milwaukee Journal 1884-1995; Milwaukee Sentinel 1844-1995; Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 1990-Current (text only); Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 2018-Current (digital images); Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Blogs 2005-2016; and Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Web Edition Articles 2010-Current

This database is available for use within City of Milwaukee libraries and by remote access to City of Milwaukee library cardholders.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 1990-Present

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel digital newspaper. Current content is available as well as a text (back to 1990) and image archive (back to 2018).

Milwaukee Defender 1957-1958
An African-American newspaper published between 1957 and 1958.
Soul City Times 1968-1971
An African-American newspaper published between 1968 and 1971. In 1971, the Soul City Times merged with the Milwaukee Star.
Milwaukee Star
1960's black newspaper that was the self proclaimed "Voice of the Negro in Wisconsin." A community newspaper that ranged from features such as the "Miss Milwaukee Star" and "Northside Voters Voice" to an interview with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Milwaukee in 1964.
Milwaukee Courier 1964-
Beginning in 1964, the Courier became Milwaukee’s second African-American newspaper in print at the time. The Courier is currently still in print.
La Guardia, 1969-1985
Browse digital issues of La Guardia in the Wisconsin Historical Society Digital Archives. La Guardia claims to be the first Spanish-speaking newspaper in Milwaukee. The publication's goal was to "serve as the voice of the Latino Community." La Guardia intended to be the mode of communicating "important and interesting news," both nationally and locally, that affects the community, in combination with serving as a reference to local activities.

ProQuest Historical Newspapers: Chicago Defender (1909-1975) This link opens in a new window
The Chicago Defender (1909-1975) offers full page and article images with searchable full text. The collection includes digital reproductions providing access to every page from every available issue.

UWM Post Digital Collection
The UWM Post has served as UWM's unofficial news outlet and a primary source of news about campus activities, the university administration, and the greater Milwaukee area. It published on a weekly basis and was operated entirely by student staff. The Post printed its last issue in November 2012 and has published online exclusively since 2013. The digital collection represents an almost complete run of the Post; gaps in the digital collection reflect gaps in the physical collection housed in the UWM Archives.
Kaleidoscope, 1967-1971
Kaleidoscope was an underground newspaper published in Milwaukee from October 6, 1967 to November 11, 1971, and covered issues from an alternative and radical-liberal perspective, addressing American politics, police actions, civil rights, gender issues, sexuality, activist activities, and contemporary art, music, and literature.
Milwaukee LGBT Media | Milwaukee LGBT History Project
The Milwaukee LGBT History Project provides access to a variety of digitized publications and periodicals from the local LGBTQIA community.
Gay Peoples Union Digital Collection 1971-1981
The Gay Peoples Union (GPU) was the most important gay and lesbian rights organization in Milwaukee during the 1970s.The digital collection includes the entire run of GPU News, GPU's monthly news magazine, which was published from October 1971 to January 1981. The magazine included coverage of local and national news, editorials, articles, book reviews, fiction and poetry. It published works by authors and artists such as Dennis Cooper, Betty Fairchild, Arnie Kantrowitz, and Vito Russo. Beginning as a student organization at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the group gradually became a resource for the entire Milwaukee community. The GPU established Milwaukee's first gay and lesbian community center, operated a telephone counseling service and a venereal disease examination center, and organized a legal defense committee to assist gays and lesbians with paying for legal representation.

Search the WTMJ Archives

WTMJ-TV News Search is a catalog of nearly 50,000 news stories broadcast from 1950 to 1980 by WTMJ-TV, an NBC-affiliated station located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Stories cover all aspects of Milwaukee history including politics, business and industry, sports, entertainment, and social justice movements.

Search WTMJ Footage

For more search options, try the WTMJ News Search Advanced Search feature. Use this feature to search by date, by series type, the availability of sound, and online viewing options.

Visit the Advanced Search Page.