How to find articles in The Mercury News and the archives
Recent Stories
Most recent articles published on MercuryNews.com can be found using the site search located at the top of the homepage, sections and articles. Access is included in subscription plans for digital subscribers and print subscribers who have activated their digital access.
Mercury News Archives
Click here to search The Mercury News archive for stories back to June 1985. The archive includes staff-written articles, obituaries and editorials but does not include wire service stories, stories from other papers, photographs, calendar items, or advertisements (including paid funeral notices). Generally, the material is current 24 hours after publication.
Searches are free and you will receive a list of matching articles. Each listing includes the headline, date of publication and the beginning of the article. There’s a $3.95 fee if you want to get the full text of an article on your screen. To view stories you must create an account with NewsLibrary, the service which makes the archive available through the internet. By setting up an account, your credit card number will be kept on file so that you will not have to enter it each time you wish to retrieve the full text of an article.
For problems with purchasing articles, please contact newslibrary@newsbank.com or call 800-896-5587.
Article Reprints
Article reprints from The Mercury News or MercuryNews.com are handled by The YGS Group at 800-290-5460 or bayareanewsgroup@theygsgroup.com.
Please provide the headline, author, newspaper name and publication date. You can find that information through our archives search. There is no charge for a search, although there is a fee to retrieve the full text.
You generally do not need permission to post a text link only to the article or multimedia presentation on MercuryNews.com. We reserve the right, however, to revoke permission at any time for such text links. MercuryNews.com does not allow framing or the use of its logos or graphics.
For wire services stories and syndicated material (columns, comics), you must get permission from the original source.
Bay Area News Group Photo Reprints
Requests for personal use reprints of staff photographs should be submitted to photovideodesk@bayareanewsgroup.com. Please include a link to the photo online or the name of the person in the photo along with the date of publication and photographer’s name. Personal use is not re-publication in any media format. Only photographs taken by a staff photographer are available for purchase. Photographs of professional sports teams and celebrities are not available for personal use.
Bay Area News Group Photo and Video Licensing
All Bay Area News Group staff photos and videos are licensed through Getty Images. Please visit https://www.gettyimages.com/ and use the search bar for any search terms such as name of person or photographer’s name plus MediaNews Group. If you cannot find the photo or video you are looking for, please email photovideodesk@bayareanewsgroup.com.
Recent Newspapers / Back Issues
Back issues of The Mercury News are kept for 60 days, when available (individual issues may sell out before then). Please call circulation at 408-508-5554.
Old Mercury News Newspapers
Sometimes The Mercury News’ online archive may not be the place to find the information you need. If the information you want appeared in the newspaper before June 1985, you will need to do some historic research yourself. For more details on how to research The Mercury News articles from before 1985, click here.