Some of our reporters have been cruising the information highway, researching topics ranging from mad cow disease to weather.
Occasionally they take off-road exits into areas like reports of UFOs landing in farmer fields or the Central Intelligence Agency home page.
The Western Producer has had its own web site for a while, allowing computer users to see a selection of our classifieds and editorials prior to mailbox delivery.
However, only in the past month has a research station been set up for our reporters. A computer, modem and access to the internet have created opportunities to explore other information sources.
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Imagine being able to link with universities or libraries internationally, or to read various newspapers from around the world, or to capture photos and graphics from wire services more quickly.
Want to get the transcripts from last night’s CBC national news, or to know the correct words to O Canada? It’s all available on-line.
The internet serves as a research tool, but people must still be cautious of the authenticity of some sources and information. There is also the danger of being lured into seemingly infinite web sites and topics and losing track of time.
Nonetheless, using on-line services for research is a growing trend. A study done last year by the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism, along with Middleberg and Associates, surveyed 800 newspaper and magazine editors in the U.S.
Almost a quarter of those surveyed said they used internet or other on-line services daily. Two-thirds said they use them at least once a month, compared to 50 percent the year before. Seventy-one percent of newspaper reporters use them monthly. This was up from 44 percent in 1994.
Onwards, cyberjournalists.
