LibGuides: Journalism Research Guide: Home

Guide Contents

Introduction
Finding Books
Finding Articles
Web Resources
Instructor Reserves
Citing Sources
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Introduction

This guide is designed to assist students enrolled in Journalism courses with locating Library resources for their research paper assignments. The guide is organized into steps that cover the basic research process: identifying a topic, locating relevant sources, and citing sources used to write the paper. For general research assistance other than Journalism, view the links listed under Research Tools.

Subject keyword search terms related to Journalism include:
Broadcast journalism • Editorials • Interviewing in journalism • Newspaper publishing • Online journalism • Photojournalism • Press • Press and politics • Reporters and reporting (Refer to the glossary in your textbook for other subject keywords.)

Finding Books

Books and other Library materials can be searched using the Online Catalog. Books for Journalism are categorized under sections PN 4699 - 5659 of the Library's collection. There are two categories of books in the Library: general and reference. General books can be checked out and are often used for more in-depth research. Reference books do not circulate but can be useful for acquiring an overview on a topic. Reference books are located on the upper floor of the Library and circulating books are in the "Stacks" on the lower floor.

Some selected titles available in the Library's collection include:

The Associated Press Stylebook 2018: And Briefing on Media Law 53rd edition by Paula Froke
Call Number: PN4783 .A83 2018
Publication Date: 2018
The 2018 Stylebook features about 200 new and updated entries, including the following:
Foreword -- About the AP -- What's new -- Key to stylebook entries -- Stylebook -- Punctuation -- Business -- Data journalism -- Polls and surveys -- AP social media guidelines -- Religion -- Sports -- Food -- Fashion -- Briefing on media law -- AP statement of news values and principles -- Broadcast -- Editing marks -- Bibliography -- Index.
Evaluating Media Bias by Adam J. Schiffer
Call Number: PN4888 .O25 S35 2018
Publication Date: 2017
Evaluating Media Bias is a brief, supplemental resource that provides an academically informed but broadly accessible overview of the major concepts and controversies involving media bias.
The First Amendment Bubble: How Privacy and Paparazzi Threaten the Free Press by Amy Gajda
Call Number: KF4774 .G35 2015
Publication Date: 2015
The First Amendment Bubble examines how unbridled media are endangering the constitutional privileges journalists gained in the past century.
Internet Censorship by Ph.D., Bernadette H Schell
Call Number: ZA4201 .S34 2014
Publication Date: 2014
Covering topics ranging from web filters to laws aimed at preventing the flow of information, this book explores freedom--and censorship--of the Internet and considers the advantages and disadvantages of policies at each end of the spectrum. *Available in print and e-book
The Invention of News by Andrew Pettegree
Call Number: PN5110 .P48 2014
Publication Date: 2014
This book tracks the history of news in ten countries over the course of four centuries. It evaluates the unexpected variety of ways in which information was transmitted in the premodern world as well as the impact of expanding news media on contemporary events and the lives of an ever-more-informed public.
MOJO: The Mobile Journalism Handbook by Ivo Burum; Stephen Quinn
Call Number: PN4784 .O62 B87 2016
Publication Date: 2016
As journalism becomes increasingly competitive, students and emerging professionals need a broader skillset to make themselves more employable, whether as mainstream or entrepreneurial journalists. This book provides comprehensive coverage of all the skills and practices needed to be a mobile journalist.
The New Censorship: Inside the Global Battle for Media Freedom by Joel Simon
Call Number: PN4751 .S56 2014
Publication Date: 2014
Reporting from Pakistan, Russia, Turkey, Egypt, and Mexico, among other hotspots, the author finds journalists under threat from all sides. The result is a growing crisis in information--a shortage of the news we need to make sense of our globalized world and fight human rights abuses, manage conflict, and promote accountability.
The News: A User's Manual by Alain De Botton
Call Number: PN4749 .D43 2014
Publication Date: 2014
The author takes twenty-five archetypal news stories and submits them to unusually intense analysis with a view to helping the reader navigate a news-soaked age. He raises such questions as why are disaster stories often so uplifting? What makes the love lives of celebrities so interesting? Why do we enjoy watching politicians being brought down?
Partisan Journalism: A History of Media Bias in the United states by Jim A. Kuypers; Larry Schweikart
Call Number: PN4888 .O25 K84 2014
Publication Date: 2014
The book provides an overview of newspapers during Colonial times through the early 1980s, and then turns to demonstrating how new communication technologies have changed the very nature of news writing and delivery.
Reference Shelf: Alternative Facts, Post-Truth and the Information War by H. W. Wilson (Editor)
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Call Number: PN4888 .F35 A48 2018
Publication Date: 2018
This volume will explore news consumption and media manipulation, including selective curation of news stories and the lack of a shared news narrative. It will examine the effect of internet subcultures that manipulate news feeds, set agendas, and push ideas forward. *Available in print and e-book

Finding Articles

The Library subscribes to online databases that provide access to full-text magazines, scholarly journals, and newspaper articles, and eBooks. Since databases are subscriptions that contain copyrighted written materials, off-campus access is password protected. To search from home you will first need to log in using your MyVVC credentials. The following databases are suggested for Journalism related research:

Academic Search Complete (EBSCOhost)
A multi-disciplinary database providing full-text articles for more than 6,600 magazines and scholarly journals, including full-text for nearly 6,000 peer-reviewed titles. In addition, it includes peer-reviewed full text for STEM research, as well as for the social sciences and humanities.

After typing a search term, use the “Select a Field” option to refine your search:
• Subject (searches subject terms within the database)
• Abstract (searches terms within the article abstract)
• All Text (search the entire article)
Under “Limit your results” check:
• "Full-Text" for full-text articles only
• "Scholarly Journals" for journal articles only
CQ Researcher
A weekly online publication that covers current and controversial issues. Complete summaries, discussion covering all sides of the issue, and annotated bibliographies are provided for each topic. Users are able to view the current issue, search past issues, or browse by topic, pro/con, and date.

Tip: Click the “Browse Reports” tab at the top of the homepage for a list of popular topics and pro/con issues.
CQ Weekly
Provides information on government, politics, and public policy surrounding Congress. Each issue contains an unbiased, objective summary of all Capitol Hill activity from the previous week. Useful search features include browsing by topic and article date.
Newspaper Source Plus (EBSCOhost)
Includes more than 860 full-text newspapers (including the New York Times), providing more than 35 million full-text articles. In addition, the database features more than 857,000 television and radio news transcripts from CBS News, CNN, CNN International, NPR, etc.

Finding Web Sites

Web Resources

There are of course countless Web sites related to Journalism. Some recommended links are listed below:

All Sides
All Sides exposes people to information and ideas from all sides of the political spectrum so they can better understand the world — and each other. Presents balanced news coverage, media bias ratings, civil dialogue opportunities, and technology platforms.
American Rhetoric
A database of more than 5,000 speeches in full-text, audio, and video formats. Included are many addresses by presidents, politicians, and civil rights leaders.
Background Notes: U.S. Department of State
Concise overviews on the current political, economic, and social structure of courtiers around the world.
CIA World FactBook
Provides information on the history, people, government, economy, energy, geography, communications, transportation, military, and transnational issues for 267 world entities.
Democracy Now
A national, daily, independent news program that provides easy access to diverse sources of news and information. The program broadcast on Pacifica, NPR, community, and college radio stations, etc. An A-Z Topic Index is located under the "Topics" button at the top of the homepage.
FactCheck.ORG
A nonpartisan, nonprofit “consumer advocate” for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. Monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.
Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting
FAIR is a national media watch group that has been offering well-documented criticism of media bias and censorship since 1986. See under the heading "About" for a list of topics and issues.
Inside Reporting - Webliography
A list of recommended Web sites provided in the textbook, Inside Reporting, 3rd ed.
NEWSEUM: Todays Front Pages
Display the front pages in their original, unedited form each day to more than 800 newspapers worldwide.
Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH): Journalism Career Information
Published annually by the U.S. Department of Labor, the OOH provides career information on duties, education and training, pay, and outlook for hundreds of occupations.
Pew Research Center’s Journalism Project
The project employs a variety of empirical research methods to analyze whether people are getting the information they need for a functioning society. It publishes research on who is reporting the news and what new players are emerging. Useful sections include Topics and Journalism Organizations.

Instructor Reserves

The Library maintains a collection of instructor reserve materials. These consist of textbooks, videos, and supplemental course materials that instructors have put in the Library for student use. To find what materials are available for Journalism, search Course Reserves in the Online Catalog. It is best to search by "Course Number" (ex. JOUR 108) in that an instructor other than yours may have placed an item on reserve. Materials can be requested at the Circulation counter and generally must be used in the Library on a two-hour loan period. Photocopy machines are available for 10¢ a copy.

Citing Sources

The most common way to cite sources in Journalism is the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook. A copy of the stylebook is available in the Library Instructor Reserves collection under the call number: JOUR/Cromshow 01.

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