Newspapers and Periodicals

The following is a brief list of significant publications that have covered Baltimore City news and culture. For a comprehensive list of newspapers published in Baltimore City, consult the Guide to Newspapers at the Maryland State Archives.

• Baltimore Afro-American
  Founded by John Henry Murphy Sr. and continued to be owned and operated by his family, The Baltimore Afro-American became the most widely circulated African-American newspaper on the Atlantic Coast.The paper’s notable contributors have included writer Langston Hughes, academic J. Saunders Redding, artist Romare Bearden, and sports editor Sam Lacy, whose column influenced the desegregation of professional sports.
  
  For historical access to the period from its founding in 1893 to 1988 and 2003 to the present, visit the Pratt Library’s Maryland newspapers page (library card number required).
• The Baltimore Sun

  Searching The Baltimore Sun’s archives is a great place to start any sort of research. Founded by Arunah Shepherdson Abell in 1837 (forty years earlier than The Washington Post) the newspaper represented this bustling port city by reporting on pivotal issues and events of the 19th and early 20th centuries. H.L. Mencken, the “Sage of Baltimore,” and one of the most influential American writers of the early 20th century, wrote for this renowned newspaper.

  The Pratt Library’s Maryland newspapers page provides access via two separate databases, first from 1837 to 1994 and second from 1990 to the present (library card number required).

• The Baltimore City Paper (1998- )

  City Paper was a free “alternative weekly” newspaper started in 1977 by Russ Smith and Alan Hirsch. It covered city events, art, and culture, as well as some local news stories not featured in bigger papers. In 2014, The Baltimore Sun purchased City Paper, and in 2017, the paper ceased publication. Access to back issues is available via microfilm held at the Pratt Library.

• Baltimore Jewish Times
  The Baltimore Jewish Times (originally known as Jewish Times) is Baltimore’s oldest Jewish publication. Back issues from 1919 forward are currently accessible via microfilm held at the Pratt Library.
• Baltimore Magazine
  Baltimore magazine was first printed in 1907 by the Baltimore Chamber of Commerce. Search the magazine’s website for articles on a variety of topics in Baltimore City culture. Selected back issues are available to browse in person at the Baltimore City Archives (part of BRG29, Department of Legislative Reference).
• Maryland Historical Magazine
  The periodical of the Maryland Center for History and Culture (MCHC, formerly Maryland Historical Society), it features historical research on a multitude of topics related to Maryland history. All back issues have been digitized and are freely accessible through the MCHC website (registration required).