WHO:
Who publishes news that you are likely to use in researching international law?
-Governments issue press releases and also own news outlets.
-Private media outlets publish news either because they strive to provide balance in the message or else because they have a particular bias to promote.
-International Organizations publish news about their own work and issues relating to their work.
-Public Policy think tanks publish analytical expositions about matters that are in the news.
Research significance:
-When looking for information that you cannot describe in detail, it is often helpful to ask yourself who might have that information and also who might make that information known.
-Considering the motivations for publishing news will remind you to consult more than one source.
Examples:
Government perspectives, see Diplomacy Monitor http://diplomacymonitor.com/stu/dm.nsf/issue!OpenForm
(Notice countries’ related information.)
Private media see Findlaw International Law News
http://news.lp.findlaw.com/legalnews/international/
(Notice link to text of protocol.)
International Organization
http://www.greenpeace.org/international_en/
(Notice research report on global warming.)
Public Policy Think Tanks
http://www.rand.org/research_areas/energy_environment/ (Rand Corporation)
(Search “global warming” rather than protocol name.)
http://www.brookings.edu/views/op-ed/fellows/purvis20041215.htm (Brookings Institution)
WHAT:
What kind of information do you get when you do news research?
Identity of people and entities involved in an issue.
Names of legal documents.
A sense of the work and related products involved with the issue you’re researching.
Reasons and explanations relating to the development of the issue or item your researching.
Examples:
http://www.enn.com
Search “kyoto protocol” – notice references to task force reports.
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu
Search “kyoto”- notice that the stories refer to political positions, improvements in global warming, rationales identified in BBC article linked from Jurist.
WHEN:
What value do you get from the frequent and regular publishing of news sources?
Because news sources are putting out information as it happens, according to their publication schedule they:
- cover events not necessarily referenced in other sources
- include investigative details to give their stories substance
- provide contextual guideposts for the evolution of an issue or item
- summarize chronology
Examples:
blog– http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/intlenvironment/
http://news.lp.findlaw.com/legalnews/international/
search: NEWS “kyoto”
WHERE:
News sources are “on the inside.” They collect their information from interviewing participants directly, from meetings and events in which their reporters participate first hand.
Because of this, news sources tend to provide:
-direct quotations (sometimes spontaneous remarks from press conferences)
-descriptions of atmosphere
WHY:
Under what circumstances do you use news sources?
-To get leads & generally find out who and what are involved in an issue.
See BNA Environment Reporter (paid subscription) “Kyoto Protocol Takes Effect…” http://pubs.bna.com/ip/BNA/ENR.NSF/highlights/highlights?OpenDocument&login=1
-When you want to know what was happening at a particular time, a news source is a good place to get your bearings.
- When you want to see what was being said about a particular event. (Ie: tsunami)
Foreign Affairs story about tsunami orphans and international adoption law
Roll down to Slobedan indictment, use of force against Iraq 1997
HOW:
How do you use these?
Generally, you have to find individual archives for retrospective research. News Databases are not very thorough yet. The New York Times Index is a good benchmark for knowing when articles are likely to appear in other news sources for which you might not have an index.
Print/ microfilm-
Electronically- Can register for e-mail updates & rss feeds. Use search engine technology within the news source.
Television/ radio transcripts- minimal information.
