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INTERNET RESOURCES
Journalism: Resources from advocacy to media watchdogs
C&RL News, March 2006
Vol. 67, No. 3
by Bob Garber
The focus of this compilation is to provide a list of Web sites about journalism—as a field of study (particularly continuing education), as an ongoing presence in our culture, and as a profession. It is not concerned with sites that will lead the Internet user to the product of journalism, i.e., sources of print, broadcast, online news.
This list is divided into several categories—education, media watchdogs, advocacy groups, and trade associations. It is not exhaustive, but given the interconnectivity of the Web, these sites will lead the user to many more sites, including the product (the news).
Education
The organizations in this category are concerned with providing education and training—to students, to reporters and editors, to management. It may be in person, it may be online. It may be short term, it may be long term. It may cost, it may be free.
 • American Press Institute (API). API was founded in 1946 and is located in Reston, Virginia. It is devoted to the training and development of people in the news industry and in journalism education. Seminars are held on-site throughout the year and online training is available. There is a Journalist’s Toolbox, which includes information on such topics as ethics, finding public records, interviewing techniques, and electronic lists and newsgroups. Access: http://www.americanpressinstitute.org/.
• Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC). AEJMC was founded in Chicago in 1912. It has about 3,500 members around the world, who are journalism and mass communication faculty, administrators, students, and media professionals. Among its publications are two refereed journals: Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly and Journalism and Mass Communication Educator. Some full-text articles from these journals are available at this Web site. Access: http://www.aejmc.org/.
• Journalism.Org. This site is the Web presence of the Project for Excellence in Journalism (PEJ) and the Committee of Concerned Journalists (CCJ). The goal of the PEJ is to use research to raise the standards of American journalism and to provide journalists with tools to do better work. The main effort of CCJ is pressing for journalism reform by creating a national conversation among journalists about principles. As part of its research, PEJ produces an annual “State of the News Media” report. In addition, CCJ operates a newsroom training program called the Traveling Curriculum. Access: http://www.journalism.org/.
• Knight Foundation. The Knight Foundation was established in 1950 by members of the Knight family, the owners of several newspapers. (Knight Ridder was formed in 1974.) The foundation funds and otherwise supports programs in two areas: the Community Partners Program (social and economic programs in selected U.S. cities) and Journalism Initiatives. One of the primary focuses of support to journalism is newsroom training and education. Major grants go to universities and to organizations, including the American Press Institute and the Committee of Concerned Journalists. Another major focus of grant giving is the protection and expansion of freedom of the press. Access: http://www.knightfdn.org/default.asp.
• Maynard Institute. The Institute for Journalism Education was founded in 1977 and renamed in 1993 to honor its cofounder, Robert C. Maynard. Maynard was the owner of the Oakland Tribune, and the institute is based in Oakland. The institute’s mission is to expand opportunities for minority newspaper journalists—both on the news and on the business side of the industry. They provide programs on editing, management, and the Media Academy, which are held at journalism schools around the country. There is a news section and a columns section, which both focus on the media and diversity. Access: http://www.maynardije.org/.
 • News University. News University is a project of the Poynter Institute and is funded by the Knight Foundation. It began in April 2005. It offers online, interactive, inexpensive (often free) courses to journalists of all levels of experience and from all types of media. There are courses in management, reporting, editing, broadcast and online journalism, and ethics. In time, News University plans to be international with courses in many languages. Access: http://www.newsu.org/.
• Poynter Institute. The Poynter Institute for Media Studies was founded in 1975 and is located in Saint Petersburg, Florida. It is a school for journalists, future journalists, and teachers of journalists. The resident and visiting faculty conduct many seminars throughout the year. Poynter online includes discussion lists on such topics as diversity, design, online writing, and war coverage. There are many online columns, including that of Jim Romenesko, who offers “your daily fix of media industry news, commentary, and memos.” Access: http://www.poynter.org/.
Media watchdogs
“Objectivity” in journalism is in the eyes and ears of the readers, watchers, and listeners. These groups are among those that monitor the news and try to have an effect on what we all get from our journalism sources. Part of each description is a statement of purpose for each group in its own words.
 • Accuracy in Media. “Accuracy in Media is a non-profit, grassroots citizens watchdog of the news media that critiques botched and bungled news stories and sets the record straight on important issues that have received slanted coverage.” A politically conservative group, Accuracy in Media publishes the “AIM Report” (in print and online), produces radio commentary, has a speakers bureau, and has a weekly syndicated newspaper column. On the Web site are columns by staff and guest writers, and the daily Media Monitor. Access: http://www.aim.org/.
 • Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR). “FAIR, the national media watch group, has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986. . . . As a progressive group, FAIR believes that structural reform is ultimately needed to break up the dominant media conglomerates, establish independent broadcasting and promote strong non-profit sources of information.” FAIR publishes a bimonthly magazine called Extra! with many articles online, and produces a weekly radio program called “CounterSpin.” They also post recent advisories and alerts. Access: http://www.fair.org/index.php.
• Mediachannel.org. “In the current climate, we all need to be aware of how the media operate. Making sense of the steady stream of info-culture requires background, context, and interpretation. The vitality of our political and cultural discourses relies on a free and diverse media that offers access to everybody. . . . As the media watch the world, we watch the media.” MediaChannel is a politically liberal organization located in New York City that is made up of more than 1,000 media groups from around the world. While it does pay attention to the daily news, it also contains many articles that discuss a broader view of trends in the media in the United States and abroad. There is a Journalist’s Toolbox and a Media Access Toolbox with guides to how to get one’s story into the mass media. Access: http://www.mediachannel.org/.
• Media Matters for America. “Launched in May 2004, Media Matters for America put in place, for the first time, the means to systematically monitor a cross section of print, broadcast, cable, radio, and Internet media outlets for conservative misinformation . . . every day, in real time.” Media Matters uses the Web site to post responses to news items or commentary. The responses are organized by topic, by media personalities, by shows and publications, and by networks and outlets. Readers can receive e-mail subscriptions to a weekly newsletter and a daily digest. Access: http://mediamatters.org/.
• Media Research Center (MRC). “On October 1, 1987, a group of young determined conservatives set out to not only prove—through sound scientific research—that liberal bias in the media does exist and undermines traditional American values, but also to neutralize its impact on the American political scene.” MRC uses its News Tracking System to follow trends in the media. Online, readers can access CyberAlerts (weekdays), Media Reality Check (weekly), FLASH news (monthly), and special reports (several times a year). Access: http://www.mediaresearch.org/.
Publications
This section has only three entries. But these are stand alone Web sites. There are many more publications—scholarly journals, trade magazines, newsletters—available from other organizations listed in this compilation. And these are often mentioned in their descriptions.
• American Journalism Review. This magazine began life as the Washington Journalism Review in 1983. It is now owned by the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland. The magazine covers all forms of media and examines media coverage of events, journalism ethics, and the impact of technology. In print it appears six times a year. The Web site offers full-text articles from the current issue and archived issues back to September 1991. There are links to news sources (print, broadcast, wires) and to journalism organizations and media monitors. Access: http://www.ajr.org/.
• Columbia Journalism Review. The Columbia Journalism Review was founded in 1961 by Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism. The basic goal of the magazine is the “continuing improvement of journalism in the service of a free society.” In print it appears six times a year. Full-text articles are available from the current issue and from issues back to 2002. The journalism tools section offers thousands of free research tools. Access: http://www.cjr.org/.
• Online Journalism Review (OJR). The Online Journalism Review began in 1998 and is produced at the Annenberg School of Communication at the University of Southern California. It covers all topics in journalism, but emphasizes the emerging field of online journalism. The OJR offers tips on how to write for the Web and tips for producing video for the Web. There is a section on creating honest and accurate reporting. The News Blog has stories by both OJR readers and journalism students. Access: http://www.ojr.org/.
Advocacy/support
These organizations are generally concerned with supporting journalists as they go about their professional lives—supporting them legally, supporting their physical and emotional well-being, supporting their need to be connected to other journalists, and supporting the necessity of a free press as an ingredient of open, democratic societies.
• Center for Public Integrity. The center is an organization that does investigative research and reporting on public policy issues. It was founded in 1989 and is located in Washington, D.C. In the past 15 years it has produced almost 300 reports and 14 books, which are used by the media, academics, and nongovernmental organizations. The center tries to serve as an honest broker of information in order to create better informed citizens. One of its projects is the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, which has members from 48 countries and has reported on corporate crime, arms trafficking, terrorism, U.S. military policy, and human rights. Access: http://www.publicintegrity.org/default.aspx.
• Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). CPJ is headquartered in New York City and was founded in 1981 by U.S. foreign correspondents who wanted to defend the lives and rights of all journalists  worldwide to report the news without fear of reprisal. CPJ closely tracks press conditions around the world and can be called upon in emergencies. The Web site has recent news, and archived news back to 2000, arranged by country. It has information on journalists killed and missing since the mid-1990s. There is full-text of a semiannual publication, Dangerous Assignments, since 2002, and the annual Attacks on the Press from 1996 to the present. Access: http://www.cpj.org/.
• Dart Center for Journalism and Trauma. The Dart Center was founded in 1999 and is part of the Department of Communication at the University of Washington-Seattle. The Dart Center is a network of journalists and health professionals who are concerned with reporting and trauma. It is concerned with how journalists cover conflict and tragedy and offers training in ethical reporting. It is also concerned with the effect on journalists of covering such events. There are links to research and fact sheets produced by the Dart Center, and links to articles in scholarly publications about the effects of war reporting. Access: http://www.dartcenter.org/.
• Freedom Forum. The Freedom Forum was founded in 1991 and is located in Arlington, Virginia, though three of its major activities are located elsewhere. The Newseum, a museum of the news, is under construction in Washington, D.C. The First Amendment Center and the Diversity Institute are both part of Vanderbilt University. The Web pages of the First Amendment Center include material on all First Amendment freedoms, including press freedoms. There are current news stories, weekly columns, links to Supreme Court cases, information on seminars for journalists, and articles on press topics, such as libel, shield laws, courtroom access, and the Freedom of Information Act. Access: http://www.freedomforum.org/.
 • Investigative Reporters and Editors. This group began in 1975 and soon found a home at the University of Missouri School of Journalism. To support its mission of improving the quality of investigative reporting, IRE offers training workshops around the country in computer assisted reporting, following the money trails, and unleashing the watchdogs. There are online Campaign Finance and Freedom of Information centers. The Resource Center includes a library of print and broadcast stories, including links to recent and ongoing investigative reporting from a variety of sources. Access: http://www.ire.org/.
• Pew Research Center for the People and the Press. The center was first the Times Mirror Center for the People and the Press (1990–95) and is now sponsored by the Pew Charitable Trusts. It is located in Washington, D.C. The center uses public opinion research to explore the public’s ideas about the media and public policy. The research about the media falls into three major areas: public attitudes about the media, how closely the public follows major news stories, and how the public uses, and regards, the Internet and traditional news outlets. All of the current survey results are available free of charge. Access: http://people-press.org/.
• Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP). RCFP was created in 1970 at a time when journalists faced a surge of government subpoenas asking for the names of confidential sources. It is located in Arlington, Virginia, and since the beginning has been devoted to providing free legal assistance to journalists, with a 24-hour hotline. The RCFP publishes a quarterly magazine called News Media and the Law, with full-text articles available online back to 2000. There is current news about media law topics by RCFP staff writers and from other sources. The First Amendment Handbook is available in print and online. The guide to the Freedom of Information Act includes an automatic FOI letter generator. Access: http://www.rcfp.org/.
• Reporters sans Frontieres (RSF)-Reporters Without Borders. RSF has its main office in Paris and has sections and local offices around the world. The Web site can be read in French, Spanish, or English. RSF maintains an “enemies of press freedom” blacklist, a “press freedom barometer,” and an annual “worldwide press freedom index.” It offers practical guides for the safety and protection of journalists. The current news is arranged by continents and then by country. There is news also about press freedoms on the Internet. RSF offers online a Handbook for Bloggers and Cyber-Dissidents. Access: http://www.rsf.org/.
 • Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ). SPJ was founded in 1909 at DePauw University in Indiana. It was originally known as Sigma Delta Chi, a journalistic fraternity. In 1988 it officially changed its name to the Society of Professional Journalists and is now located in Indianapolis. The 9,000 members are journalists, educators, and students. SPJ publishes a magazine, the Quill, that appears nine times a year. Some full-text articles are available online from the current issue and the archives go back to 2001. SPJ supports the freedom of information and open records through programs like Project Sunshine, and it has a legal defense fund for journalists. Access: http://www.spj.org/.
Trade associations
• Asian American Journalists Association. Access: http://www.aaja.org/
• Association of Health Care Journalists. Access: http://www.ahcj.umn.edu/
• National Association of Black Journalists. Access: http://www.nabj.org/
• National Association of Hispanic Journalists. Access: http://www.nahj.org/home/home.shtml
• Radio-Television News Directors Association. Access: http://www.rtnda.org/
• Society of Environmental Journalists. Access: http://www.sej.org/
About the Author
Bob Garber is a reference librarian and the subject specialist for journalism at the University of Maryland, e-mail: rgarber@umd.edu
© 2006 Bob Garber
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