Mr. Hansen goes on to explain that major city dailies that could gather news with a telegraph and had more press power and train access began to dominate the delivery of international, national and state news. This meant that people leaving on vacation would publicize their plans in the paper. A bar mitzvah or a birthday party might be reported. It seems that no detail was too trivial to include, as long as it might be of interest to the locals. Old newspaper stories detail the escapades of Lori's great-grandmother, a 1920s high society con woman.
Experts add their advice on how to use newspapers to expand family history research.
Information you find in newspapers, just as in any other record, can be incorrect. Family history detectives need to evaluate the information found in all sources. Just because you find a birth date for your great-grandmother in a newspaper obituary doesn't mean that the date listed is correct. You should always check for original records to compare the information. Ignore the advertisements and the articles about famous people and politicians and look for notices, announcements and quotes from ordinary, every day people.