Access Media Finder expecting it to live up to its tag line--"the search engine for the print media and catalog world"--and you'll be disappointed. Not because this publication directory lacks breadth--it lists magazines, catalogs, newsletters, newspapers, directories, and mailing lists in more than 265 subject categories--but because it's not a search engine. While Media Finder supplies basic publication information--an editorial description, the editor's name, and subscription rates--it doesn't tell you if the publication has a Web site, much less link you to it. If you're doing some simple fact checking, seeking places to advertise, or wondering which publications cover a certain topic, Media Finder can help you out; if you're trying to locate a publication online, look elsewhere. - Sandra Stewart
With coverage ranging from news headlines such as "Uganda Takes Moves Against Corruption" and "Zanzibar Resumes Imports of Kenyan Beef After Mad Cow Scare," to arts and entertainment pieces on everything from an Ethiopian reggae concert to a controversial South African magazine ad, Africa News delivers masses of information you're unlikely to find in U.S. media outlets. You can even pick up recipes for ginger beer and Ghanian peanut stew. The articles, culled from African newspapers, magazines, and news agencies, are accessible by country or topic. A search engine would be nice, but its lack doesn't seriously detract from this excellent resource on an undercovered continent. - Sandra Stewart
Like its parent, the venerable English magazine The Economist, this online publication covering communications and information technology is thorough but a tad dry and conservative, giving the impression that its writers all wear sensible shoes. A piece on the Internet's development, for example, prissily opines, "A bit of purpose, common sense and direction--none of which come naturally to many influential 'netizens'--may be precisely what is required . . . ." Nonetheless, d.Comm is a good source for international industry news, with an exceptionally orderly design that makes jumping around easy. And job seekers may want to take a look just for the well-annotated guide to online career resources. - Sandra Stewart
Unlike many magazines, U.S. News and World Report puts its entire current issue online, and it goes beyond just recreating that print content by providing links to relevant Web resources and related stories from past issues. You'll also find the magazine's widely read college- and graduate-school rankings, along with advice on obtaining financial aid and other college-related and career subjects. An array of forums based on U.S. News and World Report sections is headed by The Body Politic (hosted with the Atlantic Monthly), whose heavily conservative bent will appeal to right-wingers seeking like minds and lefties who like to push buttons. The site is searchable and easy to navigate, with a nicely rendered newsmagazine look--a quality production all around. - Sandra Stewart
News of Mother Teresa's successor, cricket-match updates, a claim that the Hale-Bopp comet was described by an Indian astronomer 1521 years ago--all are accessible from this Indian news service's packed front page. Unfortunately, Rediff has also taken the grab-bag approach to design and organization, realms in which it is considerably less appealing. The entrance to this vast site is somewhat disorienting, and little is explained for newcomers--you have to travel to Planet X, for example, to discover that it's a lifestyle and entertainment section. Still, the content, ranging from political gossip to commentaries on Indian telecom policy and the status of women, is engaging enough to make browsing worthwhile, especially for Indiaphiles. - Sandra Stewart
It would be hard to fault a source I consider as vital as my morning cup o' Peet's coffee, so I won't. San Francisco's public radio and television stations are well served by this pleasantly illustrated interface, reminiscent of a nostalgic '40s brochure. As befits the focus on local programming content, it's less slick than its PBS Online parent. You can zero in on a specific program you're anticipating, review something you may have missed, or just scan the upcoming shows for items of interest, some of which are shocked for your listening pleasure. If you're a frequent listener of KQED-FM, you'll also enjoy seeing photos of the folks behind those familiar, disembodied voices. - Steve LeVine
This content-rich daily newspaper offers complete articles and photos at its well-maintained and regularly updated site. Content is not restricted to straight news and includes sections on real estate, business, tourism, and weather. What makes the paper most interesting, however, is its opinions on Middle Eastern issues of the day, always with an eye toward the all-important American perspective. Jerusalem Post would also be useful to scan in advance of a trip to Israel, just to get a glimpse of the zeitgeist. - Steve LeVine
If you get all your print news from The New York Times or some other self-styled yardstick of American journalism, then you will do well to visit the Alternative Newsweeklies site and take in some of the iconoclastic articles they proffer from around the country. The visuals don't match USA Today's, nor do the typefaces carry the cachet of more mainstream organs, but the site makes up for these lacks with a commitment to "challenge local sacred cows without reverting to ax-grinding or other soapbox-style tactics." Question authority here. - Steve LeVine
In a more contrarian vein, CounterSpin (a product of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting [FAIR]) drops its progressive drawers and proclaims to expose and highlight biased and inaccurate news with tough, independent reporting on sexism, racism, homophobia, the power of corporate influence, the progress of religious fundamentalists, and attacks on free speech. An instructive example of FAIR's good work is revealed in a review of the radio show from April 20, 1995, in which reporters warned against the all-too-prevalent and premature conclusion that the Oklahoma City bombing was the work of Middle Eastern terrorists. Nice curveball. - Steve LeVine