About News Archive
News Archive is a new digital archive for historical newspapers, launched on 1 June 2026, as a modern, improved alternative to existing archives.
Our mission is to make historical news easier to find and understand. We focus on:
A fast, reliable, user-friendly website
We want historical research to feel smooth and intuitive, whether you are browsing casually or carrying out detailed research.
High-quality article transcripts
Every article in News Archive is proofread thoroughly and made available as readable text, while still preserving access to the original scanned newspaper page.
Accessibility
Many articles can be listened to as audio recordings, making the archive more accessible and easier to use in different contexts.
Free basic access
Basic access to articles is not hidden behind a paywall. We believe historical news should be widely available.
Meet Airi, the world’s first AI assistant specialised in historical research
Airi is designed to help users search the archive intelligently, and she can also summarise and explain historical articles.
Airi’s capabilities are developing rapidly. Over time, she will become able to support more advanced historical research by providing background information on the people, places, and events mentioned. She’ll also be able to write research reports, create timelines of events, compare coverage across newspapers and regions, help with multilingual research, and guide users through large collections of archival material.
Our goal is for Airi to become the AI assistant of choice for anyone carrying out either casual or serious research using historical newspapers and other news sources.