"This is not a computer book; it's a journalism book." Former Associated Press reporter Christopher Callahan makes his emphasis clear from the start of this basic guide. He advises his readers to 'forget surfing'. Instead, they should start thinking about building a reliable set of sources and learn how to search intelligently.
However, he does kick off with a rapid overview of navigational basics and such obvious yet simple strategies as changing the default home page of your browser to something you're going to use regularly. Next comes the important issue of evaluation - from understanding web addresses and finding out who owns them - to search techniques using electronic databases and reverse directories.
For the sort of investigative journalism he is taking as his norm, the issue of searching is clearly important. He takes it to a more advanced level in chapters covering the use of Boolean operators and wildcards, then a comparison of search engine results and an explanation of the different strategies they employ. And for those who really will be journalists, Callahan narrows down his recommendations to establishing a personalised list of bookmarks, data bases, and the electronic equivalent of a journalist's contact book.
All of this is expressed in clear, plain prose with as little jargon as possible. As a bonus, each chapter is supplemented by stories from other journalists on how they have used the Internet to do their work - from tracking down Moonies and missing persons to a Pulitzer prize-winning story on the progressive loss of wetlands in Louisiana.
There are plenty of lists of newsgroups, mailing lists, web sites, and organisations for those who want to pursue a career interest. But take care if you're tempted to join any of the writer's mailing lists. Some of them have hundreds of messages a day. The US enjoys free local phone calls, don't forget.
