October 9, 2008

Commission on Presidential Debates

Available online.
This is not a new site, but its recent updates have brought it back to attention. Transcripts and video from presidential -- and, when available, vice-presidential debates -- back to 1976, with some material on earlier debates, such as 1960.
A link will be maintained on this library Web page.

October 6, 2008

Ballot Measures Database

National Conference of State Legislatures.
Available online.
Database of nearly 160 proposals or initiatives on November statewide ballots, searchable by state and/or topic.
A link will be maintained on this library Web page.

October 1, 2008

A Report on the Media and the Immigration Debate

Brookings Institution.
Available online.
"Deeply ingrained practices in American journalism have produced a narrative that conditions the public to associate immigration with illegality, crisis, controversy and government failure. Meanwhile, new voices of advocacy on the media landscape have succeeded in mobilizing segments of the public in opposition to policy initiatives, sometimes by exaggerating the narrative of immigration told by traditional news organizations."
A link will be maintained on this library Web page.

September 30, 2008

What's the Difference between Sociology and Journalism?

Everyday Sociology, W. W. Norton.
Available online.
A sociologist at the University of Southern California writes about the common ground and the differences between these two disciplines.
A link will be maintained on this library Web page.

September 29, 2008

Absentee Voter Guide

Harvard University Institute of Politics.
Available online.
This is an easy to use, state-by-state guide for college students who want to vote by absentee ballot.
A link will be maintained on this library Web page.

September 22, 2008

How Economic News Moves Markets

U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
Available online.
"Exploring how the release of new economic data affects asset prices in the stock, bond, and foreign exchange markets, the authors find that only a few announcements — the nonfarm payroll numbers, the GDP advance release, and a private sector manufacturing report — generate price responses that are economically significant and measurably persistent."
A link will be maintained on this library Web page.

Hollywood & Health: Health Content in Entertainment Television

Kaiser Family Foundation.
Available online.
"While the American public obtains content in a multimedia environment ranging from so-called old media like newspapers to new media like blogs and online social networks, television maintains the ability to reach millions of people with relative ease. Popular primetime television’s primary purpose is to entertain the audience, but it also has the ability to convey messages about serious issues. To understand television's ability to inform the public and to examine the health content on entertainment shows, the Kaiser Family Foundation released two studies."
A link will be maintained on this library Web page.

Teens, Video Games, and Civics

Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Available online.
"This survey provides the first nationally representative study of teen video game play and of teen video gaming and civic engagement. The survey looks at which teens are playing games, the games and equipment they are using, the social context of their play, and the role of parents and parental monitoring. Though arguments have been made about the civic potential of video gaming, this is the first large-scale study to examine the relationship between specific gaming experiences and teens’ civic activities and commitments."
A link will be maintained on this library Web page.

September 16, 2008

Journalists’ Privilege: Overview of the Law and Legislation in the 109th and 110th Congresses

U.S. Congressional Research Service.
Available online.
Congress has considered creating a journalists’ privilege for federal proceedings, and bills to adopt a journalists’ privilege have been introduced in the 109th and 110th Congresses, in both the House and the Senate. These bills generally would provide for a more narrow privilege than the privileges provided by state laws.
A link will be maintained on this library Web page.

Cambridge Histories Online

Washington and Lee University researchers now have online access to one of the most prestigious scholarly publication collections through Cambridge Histories Online.

This newly-released database contains the complete texts of over 250 volumes published since the 1960's in the various Cambridge Histories series on major historical topics.
Several series are still active and new volumes will be added to the database as published, as will any new series when they begin.
Here is a list of published volumes, thus far.

W&L students, faculty, and staff have access to this database through our Web site and through Annie (where we plan also to have links to individual titles in the series).