It’s out there somewhereIt’s out there somewhere

Finding factsFinding factsand avoiding fictionand avoiding fiction

on the Interneton the Internet

Directory assistance

• randyjessee@earthlink.net

• jjessee@timesdispatch.com

• 804-649-6118 office

• 804-363-2784 cell

• www.rjessee.com/out_there.ppt

• (there’s an underscore between “out” and “there”)

The Internet isThe Internet is:

1.1. Full of accurate, useful informationFull of accurate, useful information

2.2. An easy way to avoid mistakesAn easy way to avoid mistakes

3.3. Full of lies, slander and Full of lies, slander and misinformationmisinformation

4.4. An easy way to embarrass yourself An easy way to embarrass yourself and your publication and get sued.and your publication and get sued.

5.5. All of the aboveAll of the above

Nuestra SenoraNuestra Senorade Buena Esperanzade Buena Esperanza

A cautionary taleA cautionary taleof research gone awryof research gone awry

Nuestra SenoraNuestra Senorade Buena Esperanzade Buena Esperanza

The Daily Evergreen at Washington The Daily Evergreen at Washington State University needed a story about State University needed a story about Filipino-American History Month.Filipino-American History Month.

The assignment was given to a The assignment was given to a freshman journalism student writing freshman journalism student writing her very first story.her very first story.

Nuestra SenoraNuestra Senorade Buena Esperanzade Buena Esperanza

The reporter wrote:The reporter wrote:

““The first Filipinos landed on the shores The first Filipinos landed on the shores of Morro Bay, California, on a of Morro Bay, California, on a Spanish galleon called the Spanish galleon called the Nuestra Nuestra Senora de Buena EsperanzaSenora de Buena Esperanza.”.”

Nuestra SenoraNuestra Senorade Buena Esperanzade Buena Esperanza

The reporter’s editor said:The reporter’s editor said:

““Not bad, but don’t you think you ought Not bad, but don’t you think you ought to translate the name of the ship?”to translate the name of the ship?”

So the reporter went to Google…So the reporter went to Google…

Nuestra SenoraNuestra Senorade Buena Esperanzade Buena Esperanza

““The first Filipinos landed on the shores The first Filipinos landed on the shores of Morro Bay, California, on a of Morro Bay, California, on a Spanish galleon called the Spanish galleon called the Nuestra Nuestra Senora de Buena Esperanza,Senora de Buena Esperanza, which which translates to ‘The Big Ass Spanish translates to ‘The Big Ass Spanish Boat.’Boat.’””

Nuestra SenoraNuestra Senorade Buena Esperanza =de Buena Esperanza =

Our Lady of Good HopeOur Lady of Good Hope

The reporter’s online source was The reporter’s online source was www.Pinoylife.com, a humor site.www.Pinoylife.com, a humor site.

Nuestra SenoraNuestra Senorade Buena Esperanzade Buena Esperanza

Pinoylife.com wrote:Pinoylife.com wrote:

““You know, some people really need to You know, some people really need to learn that just because something is learn that just because something is on the Internet doesn’t mean that it is on the Internet doesn’t mean that it is true.”true.”

Do you Fnu Lnu?Do you Fnu Lnu?

Search enginesSearch enginesare not the problemare not the problem

• Software cannot differentiate fact from Software cannot differentiate fact from fictionfiction

• If it’s on the Internet, a search engine If it’s on the Internet, a search engine eventually will find it and report iteventually will find it and report it

• It can be the cyber equivalent of gossip, It can be the cyber equivalent of gossip, where the original statement and the where the original statement and the eventual statement are miles aparteventual statement are miles apart

Sarah PalinSarah Palin

• www.digitaljournal.com/article/259257

CONSIDERCONSIDERthe sourcethe source

• Official sources are always the safestOfficial sources are always the safest

• College and university sources are nextCollege and university sources are next

• Lexis-Nexis is next – but expensiveLexis-Nexis is next – but expensive

• Publications’ own sites are on-par with Publications’ own sites are on-par with Lexis-Nexis but only for their own materialLexis-Nexis but only for their own material

• Wide-open search engines…caution…Wide-open search engines…caution…

Official sources:Official sources:Usually right on targetUsually right on target

• http://www.courts.state.va.us/caseinfo/home.html• http://www.crimcheck.com/freerecords.htm• http://www.ci.richmond.va.us/• http://www.co.henrico.va.us/• http://www.chesterfield.gov/• http://www.co.hanover.va.us/

CollegesCollegesand universitiesand universities

• http://www.ibiblio.org/ -- a really cool place to -- a really cool place to find out about lots of different thingsfind out about lots of different things

• http://www.library.vcu.edu/• http://www.virginia.edu/lib.html• http://www.lib.vt.edu/• http://www.wm.edu/libraries/index.php• http://www.editteach.org

Lexis-NexisLexis-NexisCostly but comprehensiveCostly but comprehensive

• http://www.nexis.com/research -- You’ll need -- You’ll need your own account or use it in your libraryyour own account or use it in your library

• http://www.lexis.com/research -- Ditto -- Ditto• Lexis and Nexis are just as accurate as their Lexis and Nexis are just as accurate as their

original sourcesoriginal sources– Corrections posted prominently and regularlyCorrections posted prominently and regularly– Sources are paid for their materialSources are paid for their material

PublicationPublicationsitessites

• www.timesdispatch.com – You can search the – You can search the last six months for free; after that, you have to last six months for free; after that, you have to pay for archive access.pay for archive access.

• www.nytimes.com – You can search the current – You can search the current week’s data for free. If you subscribe to Times week’s data for free. If you subscribe to Times Select ($7.95 a month), you can retrieve up to Select ($7.95 a month), you can retrieve up to 100 archived files per month.100 archived files per month.

• www.washingtonpost.com – You can search the – You can search the last 60 days for free; after that, you have to pay last 60 days for free; after that, you have to pay for archive access.for archive access.

PublicationPublicationsitessites

• www.nytimes.com/navigator -- Absolutely free, -- Absolutely free, updated regularly by a member of The New York updated regularly by a member of The New York Times news staff. This site is the home page of Times news staff. This site is the home page of all members of The New York Times news all members of The New York Times news department.department.

• http://www.reporter.org/desktop/ -- Another great -- Another great compilation of research tools.compilation of research tools.

Search enginesSearch enginesUse them carefullyUse them carefully

• Narrow your search as much as possibleNarrow your search as much as possible• Use the advanced techniques in Google or Use the advanced techniques in Google or

YahooYahoo• Ignore blogs or use them to point you to a Ignore blogs or use them to point you to a

reputable sourcereputable source• NEVER use a wiki as a sourceNEVER use a wiki as a source• Think: What’s the source and how is it Think: What’s the source and how is it

referenced?referenced?• www.google.com

Maps and pictures and maps Maps and pictures and maps with pictures and…with pictures and…

• www.mapquest.com• www.mapblast.com• www.nationalgeographic.comwww.nationalgeographic.com• http://www.virginia.govhttp://www.virginia.gov

Miscellaneous cool stuffMiscellaneous cool stuff

• http://www.landings.com/_landings/pages/search.html http://www.landings.com/_landings/pages/search.html -- Find out who owns an airplane or what airplanes an -- Find out who owns an airplane or what airplanes an agency or company ownsagency or company owns

• http://www.flightaware.com – Track commercial and http://www.flightaware.com – Track commercial and private flightsprivate flights

Miscellaneous cool stuffMiscellaneous cool stuff

• http://www.skeetobiteweather.com/ -- Makes it fun to http://www.skeetobiteweather.com/ -- Makes it fun to track a hurricanetrack a hurricane

• http://www.weatherunderground.com/ -- A different http://www.weatherunderground.com/ -- A different way of looking at the weatherway of looking at the weather

• www.nhc.noaa.com – National Hurricane Centerwww.nhc.noaa.com – National Hurricane Center• http://www.superpages.com/ -- Finding phone http://www.superpages.com/ -- Finding phone

number, people and addressesnumber, people and addresses

Miscellaneous Miscellaneous cool stuffcool stuff

• www.newseum.org – Daily posting of front pages from www.newseum.org – Daily posting of front pages from around the worldaround the world

• www.poynter.org – The ultimate source on journalism www.poynter.org – The ultimate source on journalism ethics, trends and – yes – GOSSIP!ethics, trends and – yes – GOSSIP!

• www.snd.org – The designers’ view of the worldwww.snd.org – The designers’ view of the world• www.newsdesigner.com – Dittowww.newsdesigner.com – Ditto