"Writing Across the Media," discusses a number of well-written sites on the World Wide Web. This list includes additional sites that can be used for in-class discussions on such topics as writing for audiences or writing with visual images.

The World Wide Web

www.contentious.com  This "Webzine" — or online magazine — focuses specifically on issues of interest to online writers. It includes news about trends in online writing and offers writers a place to chat about their work.

www.webbyawards.com  This is the official Web site for the annual Webby awards, the online version of the Oscar given to the best site in various categories. Visitors can vote for their favorite sites.

News

www.msnbc.com  The collaboration between Microsoft and NBC includes this news site, which can be customized using your zip code for local weather, news, stocks and sports.

www.bbc.co.uk  This site, from the British Broadcasting Co., is among the best for international news. It also includes audio and video feeds.

Free Expression

www.freedomforum.org  This site regularly posts stories, columns and notices concerning free speech and free press issues, including state-by-state links to local controversies in media freedom.

www.freespeech.org  This is an audio-video site created by its members. Anyone can join and contribute a video or audio clip on important issues of the day, which are then organized by issue and geography.

Magazines

www.smithsonianmag.si.edu  This site, from the organization that runs the Smithsonian Institution and magazine, features natural history, biology and anthropology.

www.sportingnews.com  Based in St. Louis, this online version of the magazine "The Sporting News" focuses on up-to-the-minute sports news and scores. The site can be customized to deliver regional sports information.

Travel

www.lonelyplanet.com  Affiliated with the "Lonely Planet" travel guides, this site explores some of the world's less-promoted travel destinations. Croatia or Botswana, Kingston or Kyoto — you're likely to find it mentioned here.

Health

www.mayohealth.org  This site offers medical news and information from the Mayo Foundation for Education and Research. It offers a drug index, searchable by name, and it provides news about health issues currently in the news.

Business

www.clearstation.com  Begun by a San Francisco corporation devoted to online investment advice, this site allows investors to track their portfolios, read current stock news and participate in investment-related discussions. Users must register, but the site is free.

Movies

www.imdb.com  The Internet Movie Database archives information about more than 180,000 film titles in a searchable database. The site also offers daily news about the film industry.