Bits, Bytes and Barks
Profnet changes address
Profnet, the outfit that will route your search for experts to universities and think tanks, recently changed its e-mail address. Now, send your inquiry to: profnet@vyne.com Include a short heading that describes what you need, the nature of the assignment and what kind of questions you need answered, your deadline, name, newspaper, phone number and e-mail address. Let Profnet know if you prefer e-mail or to be called - and when you'll be in the office to take a phone call.
NICAR wants you
The National Institute for Computer-Assisted Reporting is hiring for two positions.
NICAR seeks a training director who will oversee on-the-road classes in newsrooms across the country; and a systems director for data analysis and coordinating NICAR's database library. Both positions include sharing duties for training and data analysis.
For more information, call Brant Houston, NICAR's managing director, at (314) 882-1984, or send e-mail to brant@nicar.org.
Beware on the 'net
The Kansas City Star reported on Oct. 2 how unofficial presidential candidate sites are popping up on the World Wide Web with addresses that may seem like the real thing. But beware: www.dole96.org is not controlled by Bob Dole, while www.dole96.com is the Republican's official site. For Pat Buchanan, www.buchanan.org is official, but www.buchanan96.org is not. The story cautioned how unaffiliated sites may be used for everything from satire to campaign dirty tricks.
Catching Washington in the net
More proof that you can cover breaking stories with the Internet: Amy Bayer, who covers the White House and national affairs for Copley News Service, said she uses Internet sources "on just about every story."
Here are some recent examples.
When she covered the United Nations conference on women, and wanted to probe a platform controversy, she found draft versions of the platform on the Internet, and compared those documents with remarks by delegates.
For finding sources on Ross Perot's recent appearance on Larry King Live, she got phone numbers for the United We Stand state officials at http://www.uwsa.org.
After covering President Clinton's visit to Moscow, she checked the searchable Congressional Record at http://thomas.loc.gov to document the lack of support from fellow Democrats for the trip.