A Journalist's Guide to the Internet is a practical, hands-on guide for students and professional journalists
alike to learn how to use the Internet more efficiently and effectively in their daily reporting.
The number of global Internet users has more than tripled since this text's first publication and, not surprisingly,
Internet access in the newsroom is more common today than it was even a few years ago. This extraordinary growth
has not fundamentally changed the Internet's extraordinary possibilities and pitfalls. Rather, it has exacerbated
both, making the Net more useful�and at the same time more dangerous�to journalists. This book looks at the Internet
from a journalistic perspective: How best can reporters and editors, facing tight and unbending deadlines, use
this technology accurately and efficiently to improve the quality of their journalism?
Features :
Explains step-by-step how to use the Internet as a daily reporting tool, helping students improve their journalistic
skills.
Contains anecdotes by some of the best and most Internet-savvy journalists to help illustrate the material
and the use of the Internet in journalism.
Provides students with ways to think about the Internet and develop strategies for its immediate and effective
use.
New To This Edition :
Incorporates more than 100 of the most critical Internet sites for journalists today throughout the text.
Features a new chapter on rumors and the Internet, which provides useful information on the proliferation of
misinformation on the Internet and how these untruths can slip easily into news reports (Ch. 2).
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements.
About the Author.
1. Journalists and the Net.
What Is the Internet?
Why Should Journalists Care About the Internet?
Thinking Strategically About the Net.
2. Evaluating Information from the Internet.
Myths About the Internet and Credibility.
What's Out There?
Decoding Web Addresses.
Techniques for Evaluating Web Site Credibility.
Traveling In and Out of Web Sites.
Newsroom Policies for Internet Reporting.
3. Haven for Rumors and Misinformation.
The Real Computer Virus.
How Does the Internet Propel a Rumor to Fact in 24 Hours? The Case of CNN and the Celebrating Palestinians.
4. Basic Reporting Resources and References.
Telephone Directories.
Maps.
Rolodex Sources.
Freedom of Information Act.
Accessing State and Local Public Records.
Vital Records.
Math Aid.
Fast Facts.
Other Reference Sources.
5. Top Data Sites for News Stories:
Federal Government Sites�General.
Politics & Campaigns.
Health & Safety.
Crime & Punishment.
Businesses & Nonprofits.
6. Online News: Electronic Publications.
Growth of Online Newspapers.
Local Breaking News.
Regional and Statewide Newspapers.
National Publications.
Trade and Specialty Publications.
Newspaper Archives.
Reading for Better Writing.
7. Strategic Searching.
Think Strategically: Develop a Game Plan.
What Are You Looking for and Where Is It Likely to Be?
Guessing.
What to Do When You Don't Know Where to Go.
Directories.
Search Engines.
How Search Engines Work.
How to Use Search Engines Effectively.
The Major Search Engines.
How Many Searches?
8. Building an Electronic Beat.
Types of Beats.
The Geographic Beat.
The Issue Beat.
The Institution Beat.
9. Electronic Mail.
Email as a Reporting Tool.
Decoding Email Addresses.
Finding Email Addresses.
Newsroom Policies on Email Communication.
ProfNet.
Electronic Press Releases and News Alerts.
Email as News.
10. Mailing Lists: Email Discussion Groups.
Journalistic Uses of Mailing Lists.
Warnings.
Journalism Mailing Lists.
Finding Mailing Lists.
The Mechanics of Mailing Lists.
Love on the Listserv: A Fish Story.
The Best Journalism Web Sites.
Newsroom Specialists.
Beats.
Journalism Magazines.
Minority Journalism Organizations.
Newspaper Management and Leadership.
Journalism Research.
Women in Journalism.
Broadcast Journalism.
Other Journalism Groups.
College Journalism.
High School Journalism.
Journalism Hobbies.
Appendix: A Journalist's Guide to the Internet: The Web Site.
Index.
