Power Reporting offers thousands of free research tools for journalists. Very, very cool.

The Journalist's Toolbox features more than 15,000 web sites helpful to the media and anyone else doing research. Use the pulldown menu or search engine to locate information from a variety of beats and news industry-related topics.

Infospace provides a reverse lookup that is great for figuring out whose telephone number or address you have. You simply type in the telephone number or address and it searches for the business or private party it belongs to.

1stheadlines offers top breaking news stories from various sources around the world. Its categories include:
*US and world
*business
*health
*lifestyles
*sports
*technology
*weather

EditorsWeb is a portal to news releases posted each day on the Web sites of nearly 800 U.S. federal agencies and congressional offices. Clicking here will lead you to a page where you can get a free trial, which lasts about a month. Afterward, you are invited, not obligated, to subscribe for a small fee.

Illinois Government News Network provides information for the state of Illinois.

Yellowpages by Mapquest can be used to find addresses and phone numbers for businesses in any particular area.

Mapquest offers "point-A-to-point-B" driving directions, which are extremely useful for the journalist on the run and in interviewing.

CNN provides "up-to-the-minute" news which can keep journalists up to date with worldly issues. It also has information on an extensive variety of topics.

Poynter.org claims to have "everything you need to become a better journalist." Its links page includes:
*online publications/programs
*news/journalism resources
*news sites
*journalism organizations
*centers and schools
*foundations
*journalism jobs

I attend Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois.

this is my first day "blogging." i could see myself as a real pro.