JOUR 11200: Investigative Journalism
Wire Services
Newspapers can subscribe to wire services. Some news outlets subscribe to international news wires such as the Associated Press and United Press International to add content to their publication; these pieces can be edited for a local market. Other wires collect state and government information, business press releases (PR Newswire and Business Wire), and even college press (Uwire). Be aware that public relations professionals will be pitching you company news in hopes you'll cover their product.
- Nexis Uni (LexisNexis)After running a search, use the left menu filter. Click on "Publication Type" & click on "Newswires and Press Releases" to filter to that content type. Also in the left menu filter: click on "Sources" to click on a particular wire service by name.
Set up Alerts
If the story is ongoing, set up news alerts to receive emails on new stories being filed.
- Google AlertsMonitor the web for your topic.
- Library SearchAfter searching using the Library Search, sign in to your library account. Click the Save Query above your search results. You'll be given an option to turn on notifications for the query.
- This Nexis Uni help page describes how to set up Alerts
Social Media
Social Media is a place to learn of breaking news and to contact people. See the tab on evaluating information for further guidance. The following are local social media accounts I follow in Twitter / X.
Local Government
If you're publishing local news you'll become an expert at tracking local government meetings.
- Tompkins County, NY
Online resource for Tompkins County government. Includes an online maps page. - City of Ithaca, NY Try: City Government > Agenda & Minutes
- Ithaca City School District
ICSD is a public school district serving Ithaca, Caroline, Danby, and Enfield.
Newspaper Coverage
What was already written? Read over secondary resources.
Looking for a particular newspaper, magazine or broadcaster? Search the Journals page (found in the footer of the library's homepage).
Local News:
- Current issues of The Ithacan2013 to date
- Ithaca VoiceLocal online newspaper for Ithaca, NY. Launched: June, 2014
- Ithaca Times (ithaca.com)Ithaca's free weekly newspaper
- Ithaca Journal
The Ithaca Journal is Ithaca's daily newspaper. Use this link to search or browse for articles through U.S. Newsstream.
- Tompkins WeeklyFree weekly news about Tompkins County, New York. Issues are available as pdf files.
- Cornell Daily SunCornell University's student newspaper.
State Level news: New York
- New York Times.com
Our campus subscription to The New York Times allows patrons to register for an individual account to NY Times online.
Note: To access our subscription for the first time, patrons will need to claim a pass. Already have a pass? Simply go to nytimes.com and log in using your account credentials. See our guide to The New York Times for more information.
- New York Times (1980-present) (ProQuest)
Contents: Full-text NY Times articles, including New York Times Book Review (1988-present), New York Times Magazine (1997-present), New York Times Online (2015-present), and New York Times Video (2018-present). Updated daily.
- NYS Historic Newspapers
Contents: Full-text access to New York State newspapers including some in the public domain. 1725-2019.
National & International News
- Nexis Uni (LexisNexis)
Contents: Full-text local, national, and international newspaper articles and legal resources.
Need search tips? See our guides for tips on Legal Searching and News Searching.
- U.S. Newsstream (ProQuest)
Newspapers covered includes The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe, Newsday, and Chicago Tribune.
Contents: Full-text newspaper articles, broadcast transcripts, blogs, and news sites from the United States.
- Newspaper Source (EBSCO)
Contents: Newspaper articles from national, regional, and international newspapers and television and radio news transcripts.
- News (Gale OneFile)
Formerly known as InfoTrac Newsstand, this database provides access to major U.S. regional, national, and local newspapers and news sources, as well as world news sources.
Contents: Newspaper articles, images, and radio and TV broadcast transcripts.
- Google: Refine web searchesIf you are googling information, try using some Google command searches. See also: the Verification Handbook for examples.
Magazine Coverage
Check magazine and trade publications for coverage as well. Most businesses are part of a trade association. Trade Associations often generate magazines to their members to keep them abreast of current events.
- Academic Search Premier (EBSCO)
This multidisciplinary database contains articles from magazines and peer-reviewed journals, as well as Associated Press (AP) video content (1930s-present).
Contents: Full-text articles and video.
- ProQuest Research Library (ProQuest)
This custom link allows patrons to search across several ProQuest databases including APA PsycInfo, Healthcare Administration Database, Education database, Psychology Database, Research Library, and Social Science Database.
Contents: Full-text articles, abstracts, and ebooks.
- Academic OneFile (Gale OneFile)
This multidisciplinary database contains peer-reviewed articles, reference sources (including Gale Encyclopedia of Science and Encyclopedia of World Biography), and other sources including podcasts and transcripts from NPR and CNN, full-text from The Economist (1988-present), as well as videos from BBC Worldwide Learning.
Contents: Full-text articles, podcasts, broadcast transcripts, and videos.
- General OneFile (Gale OneFile)
This general-interest database covers a wide-range of topics.
Contents: Citations and some full-text of newspaper, magazine, and journal articles.
Pulitzer Prize Winners
Take a look at the list of Past winners & finalists for the Pulitzer Prize. There are many categories such as: Explanatory Journalism, Investigative Reporting, National Reporting, Breaking News, Public Service, Local, etc.
