Here (in no particular order) are five sources of information on the Web that might be good tools for journalists:
1) The CIA World Factbook contains information about every country in the world (and then some), including the economy and geography. Updated annually, it is a great place for journalists to go to find basic info on the country of their choice and to remain at least somewhat knowledge about global matters.
2) The Poynter Institute, according to their Web site, is “a school for journalists, future journalists, and teachers of journalism.” Standing for informative journalism, the Institute provides vistors with ways to create better journalism. It is also a great source of news and commentary.
3) Real Clear Politics is a great source of information for any political reporter, especially one covering the Presidential Election. With national and state average polls, it is a great place to see where the tide of public opinion is going. It is an independent site updated every morning and throughout the day, and much of its commentary and analysis has been featured on national news media outlets.
4) The Pew Center for the People and the Press is an “independent research group” and is a wonderful way from journalists to gauge public interest in the press as well as general attitudes towards politics and media. It is meant to be a forum to analyze these surveys, making it one of the best sources of information for journalists.
5) FedStats is a government Web site that offers statistical information on all 50 states and over 100 agencies. Similar to how the CIA World Factbook is a great international tool, FedStats is a wonderful tool to find out more about the U.S.
