Old but good Web sites still useful for journalists
By Doug Fisher
Every so often, as I go through the long lists of bookmarks in browser, I’m reminded there are still lots of aging, but still good, Web sites out there for reporters and editors
Even with invitations to check out three or four new sites weekly and a lot of neat things out there, I often find myself drifting back to the tried and true when I want something quickly. Maybe you have a few of these, too, languishing in your bookmarks file, and need a reminder of how useful they can be.
So this month I thought I’d share a quick list of some oldies but goodies. You may have to pick your way through some dead links on some of these, but there’s still enough good stuff left that they’re worth your while.
Bartleby.com
Subtitled, “Great Books Online,” this site should be high on any wordsmith’s list. I use it often for the American Heritage Dictionary, Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations (and several other quotation references), the Columbia and American Heritage guides to English usage, the 1999 King James Bible, the Columbia Gazetteer and many other references. Many important literary works and anthologies are here, too.
Books.google.com
The Google book project is relatively new, but it brings us several old stalwarts. Most useful is the Merriam-Webster Dictionary of English Usage. It’s fully searchable, and when combined with the American Heritage and Columbia above should help settle most newsroom debates. The actual link is a mile long, but you can find it at this link I’ve shortened for you http://tinyurl.com/5kethp.
Authorama.com
Dozens of public domain books readable online like “Alice in Wonderland,” “Pride and Prejudice” and “Ulysses. There’s also Dan Gillmor’s “We the Media,” one of the groundbreaking works of the digital news era.
Powerreporting.com and Journalist’s Toolbox
These two sites are among the oldest “link farms” for journalists out there. Each compiles hundreds of useful links in various categories. When I’m not quite sure what resources are available in a subject area, I head to these two sites. Powerreporting, founded by my friend Bill Dedman, is now under the auspices of Columbia Journalism Review. The American Press Institute runs the Journalist’s Toolbox at http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/pages/toolbox/.
Reporter’s Desktop (www.reporter.org/desktop/)
Duff Wilson’s site continues to be one of the first places to stop when you want to find background on people. His contains links to zabasearch.com (see below) and other resources.
Zabasearch.com
Still my first stop when I want to find someone. Yes, its goal is to sell you one of those paid search reports, but it gives you enough free information, such as the possible year of birth, that you can narrow in more effectively on someone. And even clicking through to those paid search come-ons can have benefits. One often provides you with a list of possible previous hometowns for the person. More than once that’s confirmed the Zabasearch result. (A newer tool, pipl.com, may also be useful. It checks various databases and Zabasearch. However, I always find less “noise” by going directly to Zabasearch.)
Biography.com
Sure, Wikipedia’s a start, but I prefer to start getting my information on the famous and marginally famous from Biography. It still has one of the best searchable databases at http://www.biography.com/search/.
Drew Sullivan’s Database of Databases
Drew is an old AP colleague who now is doing consulting and freelancing, but his database of databases still hangs out on the Web at www.drewsullivan.com/database.html. This is a good place to check to see whether some agency or organization has a database that bears on a topic you are researching. Some of the links have changed, but I find that many times just by backing up a slash or two in the URL, I can get close enough to find what I’m looking for.
Cassidy’s Investigative Handouts
For years, Padraic Cassidy has been collecting favorite handouts on investigative journalism. There are some classics here, such as Eric Nalder’s “Loosening Lips” and Jeff South’s tips on localizing data from federal agencies. Find the collection at http://home.earthlink.net/~cassidyny/jourlinks.htm.
Investigative Reporters and Editors
Although, sadly, parts of IRE’s site, such as its Uplink newsletter on computer-assisted reporting, have withered, other parts are still quite robust. Start at IRE’s beat search center, where you can pull up a wide list of subject-specific resources. You’ll also find links to the tip sheets handed out at IRE meetings; these are great guides to covering things. Some of the material requires a membership, but much is free. http://www.ire.org/resourcecenter/search/beat.php
What are your favorites? Let me know for a future issue.
