Area Studies Initiative
(GPA Area Studies)
The Area Studies Initiative, launched by East View Information Services (EVIS) under the Global Press Archive (GPA), is a new collaborative program designed to work with academic libraries around the world in building a comprehensive global newspaper database. The initiative focuses on five major regions—Asia, Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, and Slavic studies—and annually curates a blend of Open Access titles and copyrighted archival newspapers, addressing key research needs across these fields. The project also offers regular thematic collections, further expanding digital resources in regional studies.
This initiative continues GPA’s core mission: to build the world’s most comprehensive and accessible newspaper database platform, fostering scholarly research across disciplines.
For 2024 and 2025, the following 17 curated titles are featured. Most are available as Open Access—click the blue-linked newspaper titles to access them directly. Titles labeled as Open Access but listed in black are still under construction. For non-Open Access titles, libraries and institutions are welcome to request trial access and pricing information.
Independence Evening Post (自立晚報）
Open Access
Asia｜Taiwan, Taipei｜Chinese
1947–1995
During the Kuomintang regime, it was the only newspaper that openly advocated for Taiwan independence.
Open Access
Asia | Japan, Tokyo | Japanese
1875–1889
An influential Meiji-era newspaper, renowned for its support of socialism and the Freedom and People’s Rights Movement.
Open Access
Latin America | Argentina, Buenos Aires | Spanish
1943–1950
A popular evening paper in Buenos Aires, recognized for its center-spread illustrations; it was forcibly shut down during the Aramburu military dictatorship.
Open Access
Latin America | Puerto Rico, San Juan | Spanish
1918–1972
Puerto Rico’s most widely read newspaper in the first half of the 20th century, famous for exposing political corruption in the 1940s and covering the Cuban Revolution (1953–1959). It also documented the island’s transition to “commonwealth” status in great detail.
Open Access
Africa | South Africa, Johannesburg | Afrikaans
1938–1985
The ideological mouthpiece of the Transvaal branch of South Africa’s National Party, with significant influence among apartheid supporters.
Jornal de Debates
Open Access
Latin America | Brazil, Rio de Janeiro | Portuguese
1946–1949
A weekly newspaper focused on politics and culture, known for publishing long-form essays, including discussions on topics such as oil nationalization.
El Comercio
Latin America | Peru, Lima | Spanish
1839–1928
One of Peru’s most representative newspapers, offering a rich archive that bears witness to the nation’s modernization process.
New Nigerian
Open Access
Africa | Nigeria, Kaduna | English
1966–2001
A regional daily whose inception coincided with the end of Nigeria’s First Republic and the start of military rule.
L’Essor du Congo
Open Access
Africa | Congo, Elisabethville (now Lubumbashi) | French
1930–1960
A state newspaper founded by Belgian colonial authorities, discontinued following Congo’s independence.
Akhbar Filastin
Open Access
Middle East | Palestine, Gaza | Arabic
1963–1967
One of the earliest newspapers in Gaza, published during the turbulent transition between Egyptian and Israeli control.
Al Madina
Middle East | Saudi Arabia, Jeddah | Arabic
1959–2001
One of Saudi Arabia’s oldest newspapers, known for its pro-government stance on domestic politics while maintaining a relatively critical voice on non-political issues.
El Moudjahid
Open Access
Middle East/North Africa | Algeria, Algiers | Arabic & French
1957–1962
A key publication of the Algerian independence movement, continuously published during the Algerian War.
Al-Ba’ath
Middle East | Syria, Damascus | Arabic
1949–1997
The official newspaper of Syria’s ruling Ba’ath Party, noted for reporting internal party splits and the 1970 coup.
V Novom Svete
Slavic Region | USA, New York | Russian
1995–2022
A popular publication among fourth-generation Russian immigrants in the U.S., known for its in-depth interviews with figures in Russian politics and culture.
Estoniia
Open Access
Slavic Region | Estonia, Tallinn | Russian
1991–2001
The successor to Sovetskaya Estoniia, documenting the early years of Estonian independence.
Nowy Dziennik
Slavic Region | USA, New York | Polish
1971–2022
The largest and most independent Polish-language newspaper in the U.S., known for its extensive coverage of the Polish Solidarity movement in the 1980s.
Svobodné slovo
Open Access
Slavic Region | Czech Republic, Prague | Czech
1945–1967
A national newspaper that persisted through the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Nazi occupation, and Soviet control.