All of the options you've presented can be helpful for understanding historical newspapers, but some are more effective than others.

A) Reading the newspaper is the most obvious way to understand historical newspapers. By reading the articles, you can learn about the events, people, and ideas of the time period in which the newspaper was published.

B) Looking at column placement and organization can also be helpful. For example, the front page of a newspaper is typically reserved for the most important news of the day, while the back pages might have more feature stories or advertisements. The layout of the newspaper can provide clues about which stories were considered most newsworthy and how the editors wanted to present them.

C) Trying to understand the editor's intent is also important. By analyzing the tone and language used in the newspaper, you can get a sense of the editor's biases and priorities. This can help you understand how the newspaper was trying to shape public opinion.

D) Reading the small print first is not necessarily the best approach. While it's important to read all parts of a newspaper, starting with the small print might not give you the best overall understanding of the newspaper's content and purpose.

In summary, the most effective way to understand historical newspapers is to read them, paying attention to both the content and the layout, while also trying to understand the editor's intent.