You can use historical newspapers to find out how issues and events were reported during a specific time in history.
Contemporary Accounts: U.S. Media
New Jersey Newspapers
See the Newspapers page on the Newark Experience site.
One option is to check the Newspapers at the Center for Research Libraries. CRL has more than 12,000 U.S. and foreign newspapers (current and restrospective) at their facility in Chicago. Because the Rutgers Libraries are members, CRL will lend copies of newspapers (usually on microfilm) to Rutgers researchers .