INTERNET RESOURCES FOR ASSIGNMENT EDITORS

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AssignmentEditor.com
http://www.assignmenteditor.com/
The mother lode of links to search engines and info resources. Some local pages and breaking news guides (fee required).

Backflip
http://www.backflip.com/
Stores your bookmarks on the Web so you can use them anywhere. Creates a searchable index, allows you to create a homepage from your links, and to share your favorites with others.

Crayon
http://www.crayon.net/
Create your own "newspaper," free, by adding links you check often. Protect it with a password, or share the URL so everyone in the newsroom can use it.

E-alerts
Various
Do other stations in your area offer e-alerts? Have you signed up? Why not?

E-Fax
http://go.efax.com/s/r/eFaxHomepage
Service allows you to receive fax messages as email attachments, for a fee. You get your own fax number (which may or may not be in your area code) and what's sent there turns up in your inbox.

I-ping
http://www.iping.com/
No longer free, this service allows you to schedule wake-up calls, reminder calls to multiple numbers.

Infospace
http://www.infospace.com/
Create your own personal "desktop portal" page of info you use most often. You can keep a calendar, address book, and to do list you can access anywhere.

PR Newswire
http://www.prnewswire.com/media
Press release clearinghouse offers free email feed for journalists. Registration required.

Refdesk
http://www.refdesk.com/
Links to reference information of all sorts including search engines and Web tools from almanacs to dictionaries, maps to style guides.

Routine story guides
http://www.newslab.org/resources/routine.htm
Checklists for covering routine stories, plus links to FOIA request and camera-in-court forms.

The NewsMarket
http://www.thenewsmarket.com/
Video archive and distribution service. Find, preview and download free broadcast-standard video over the Internet.

Yahoo! Maps
http://maps.yahoo.com/
Quick way to find maps to locations; can also help you find sources to call about breaking news by locating nearby businesses.

ONLINE STORY IDEAS

Al Tompkins' Morning Meeting
http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=2
Ideas on this Web page include stories culled from newspapers.

Backhaul
backhaul-subscribe@topica.com
Sent daily by email, is designed as a supplement to your morning meeting. The ideas are generated by Web crawler visits to local station sites.

Free Story Ideas
http://www.freestoryideas.com/
Website solicits and posts story ideas by category, including timely topics and consumer, also offers weekly email.

Ideas Advantage
vobite@aol.com
Sent weekly by email, describes what other stations have done and provides tips on how to do the story. To subscribe, send an e-mail with your name, job title and media affiliation.

Reporter Pitch
http://www.eriklaursen.com/reporterpitch/
The idea is similar to the Backhaul in that it is a forum for sharing story ideas. But ReporterPitch relies on reporters and others to send in their ideas.