The following list is categorized and apps are listed alphabetically within each category. We’ve also included a few tips that may help with your journalistic efforts.

Tip: If you plan to use a lot of apps, don’t get caught short with a dead battery. Do invest in an external battery backup to save all your work and keep a charger in your car.

Productivity

Tip: iPhone supports Cisco IPSec VPN and WPA2 Enterprise for secure access to corporate networks. If your office uses Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 or 2007, you can wirelessly push email, calendar events, and contacts to iPhone.

1. Central Desktop MOBI: Red Oak Technologies has moved this app from beta into a 2.2 version, which makes it more reliable. Us this app to connect to your desktop with workspaces, tasks, events and calendars.
2. Dropbox: Download files for offline viewing, sync photos and videos and share links. The app works in conjunction with Dropbox’s downloadable programs for Windows, Mac and Linux computers and works even if you do not have access to cellular or Wi-Fi. The online basic version is free. Read more about this app at Mashable.
3. Evernote: Take notes, create lists, search through images and share information with others. Seamless integration across all devices, including Mac, Evernote Web, and Evernote for Windows.
4. Google: This app includes maps, Gmail, YouTube and Google’s new Buzz as well as search options — including Google Mobile Search. Read through this site to learn how to incorporate options into the iPhone.
5. iBillTo: Freelance journalists and bloggers can keep track of client billing information, rates and hours on specific projects.
6. Instapaper Free: One of the easiest ways to store Web pages for later offline reading. Go to Instapaper.com and install the Read Later bookmark to mark any pages you’d like to read later.
7. Qik for 3GS: A reliable and fast way to upload videos to the Internet. Includes Facebook Connect, YouTube, Twitter, and Qik.com.
8. Soonr – Integrated online workspace: Soonr secures documents in the cloud and makes it easy for teams to collaborate on projects when everyone is mobile. Automatic continuous backup of your PC or Mac makes sure that the files you need are available for remote access even when the computers are offline. Your phone or any web browser is your control panel.
9. WordWeb English Dictionary for iPhone and iPod Touch: Use this dictionary to gain access to 285,000 words, phrases and derived forms including many proper nouns, compounds and phrases. ull coverage of American, British, Canadian, Australasian and Asian English and it works offline. The standard edition is free, audio version is about $5.00 USD.
10. Zoho Office Suite: Offers six online applications including email, calendar, online word processor, spreadsheet, presentation and database applications. Syncs with online application.

Communication

Tip: You can talk to more than one person at a time on your iPhone and merge up to five calls, depending on your carrier. Conference calling may be an optional service in some countries. Contact your carrier for more information.

11. Cisco WebEx Meeting Center: Use this application to attend, schedule, start, and cancel WebEx Meetings. Get the full meeting experience with native 3G or WiFi support for simultaneous data and audio. You don’t need a WebEx account to attend WebEx meetings.
12. Facebook: Facebook for iPhone makes it easy to stay connected and share information. You can view news feed groups, view events, and upload photos and videos, but you cannot view videos that have been uploaded to FB. App includes built-in web browser.
13. iTalk Recorder: If you are serious about capturing the sounds around you, Griffin iTalk is the app you need for your iPhone. Your recordings are saved for replay on your iPhone or iPod, and you can use iTalk Sync (free download) to drag-and-drop them as high-quality AIFF files to your computer over a Wi-Fi connection.
14. LinkedIn: Stay connected with your professional network with this free app. Get the latest updates and messages from your network and keep them up-to-date with your status in real-time.
15. Skype: With Skype on your iPhone or iPod touch you can call and instant message anyone else on Skype for free. You also can call landlines and mobiles and send SMS anywhere in the world at great rates.
16. TweetDeck for iPhone: Filter messages by columns, create groups and use multiple accounts at one time with this app. If you use the desktop version of Tweetdeck, you can sync across all computers and your iPhone.

Outside the Home Zone

Tips: Before you leave, take a photo of your passport for safekeeping. Should you lose your iPhone, keep it safe by setting a passcode lock. You also can turn off data roaming while traveling abroad to save on data charges.

17. A Simple to use Translator: Very basic translator that reaches into ten different languages. You select a source and a destination language, enter the text and learn the translation.
18. Places: Tap one of the preset buttons for coffee, gas, ATM, etc., or enter a place name and you receive information for the best route to that source. Uses Geolocation to find you and to offer the best routes.
19. TripIt – Travel Organizer: TripIt Travel Organizer puts all your travel plans right on your iPhone no matter where your travel was booked. If you’re a frequent traveler, you might want to upgrade.
20. XE Currency: Keep track of mid-market rates for every world currency with this app. You can use it offline and the last updated rates are stored on your iPhone.

Stay on Top of News, Information

Tip: Open the Stocks app, then rotate to see breaking news about investments and the stock market.

21. AP Mobile: You probably know by now that AP is on top of the story both locally and globally. AP Mobile news helps you keep up-to-date with what’s happening anywhere, in your hometown and across the globe. Additionally, you can personalize the news to meet your needs.
22. ESPN ScoreCenter: Stay on top of the latest scores from hundreds of sports leagues around the world. Get full-season and single-game scoring alerts, game starts, scoring plays, end of period/qtr/half, and final score alerts.
23. Stanza: Read books on your iPhone or iPod Touch with this highly-rated ebook reader. Purchase popular new books from a selection of over 50,000 contemporary titles available in various partner stores, or choose from an additional 50,000 free classics and recent original works available from Project Gutenberg, Feedbooks, and many other sources.
24. TED: Inspiration, knowledge, news and story ideas all in one place. This application integrates multiple information feeds from TED into an unique user experience on the iPhone.
25. The Weather Channel®: Take your weather experience to the next level with in-motion radar maps, traffic cams (select markets), improved graphics and more.

Every blog contained in this list was written by freelance writers, so you get the scoop straight from the industry. No matter which genre you choose to write, the following list contains the fifty best freelance writing blogs today for business, creativity, tools and tips.

Freelance Writing Business

1. About Freelance Writing: Anne Wayman has been a freelance writer for over three decades. She posts jobs, original article, answers your questions and reviews products that she uses.
2. All Freelance Writing: All Freelance Writing offers insight into issues facing freelance and other types of writers, writers’ markets, freelance writing jobs, and more.
3. Freelance Folder: This blog is about freelancing in general, but with a huge focus on freelance writing. Enjoy forums, a job board and some great articles.
4. Freelance Switch: This blog covers a vast array of topics about life as a freelancer, from business to creativity to jobs.
5. Freelance-Zone: This blog is an all-around “how to” live a life as a freelance writer. Topics include writing and career resources, media, getaways for writers, tools of the trade and great ideas on how to spend your time off.
6. Freelancers Union:Freelancers Union is a national membership organization that’s free to join. The blog covers issues such as advocacy, insurance, retirement and more.
7. Irreverent Freelancer: Kathy Kehrli is a ten-year veteran of the freelance writing world whose success has hinged on being assertive. Learn more about this anti-rug mentality through her blog.
8. The Freelance Writing Jobs Network: This blog and article network contains job leads, writing tips, grammar guides and tools for all genres of writing.
9. The Urban Muse: Susan Johnston is a freelance writer who covers topics including business, lifestyle and careers.
10. ThursdayBram: Thursday tackles the business side of writing for a living, including answers to taxes, health insurance and overhead.
11. WebWorkerDaily: if you’re in the business of sitting in front of a computer all day — as are many freelance writers — then, this blog is up your alley, with productivity, career, how-to, apps and lifestyle advice and tips.
12. Word Count: WordCount regularly checks in on what’s happening at newspapers, magazines and Web-based news organizations so you can stay on top of the latest software tools, social network tips and Web apps.
13. Writer Beware Blogs! This blog represents a publishing industry watchdog group that “shines a light into the dark corners of the shadow-world of literary scams, schemes, and pitfalls.”
14. Writers In Business: Nothing like an accountant who writes! Brigitte Thompson is an accountant who has written several books on recordkeeping and taxes and she shares interviews with other writers and more on her blog.
15. WritersWeekly: If you’re a long-time freelance writer, then you know about this blog. If you’re new at the business, you can find jobs, writer’s warnings, articles and more at this site.

Copywriting, Business Writing and Journalism

16. Bob Bly, Copywriter: This blog belongs to Bob Bly, freelance copywriter and marketing consultant with three decades of experience in business-to-business, high-tech and direct marketing.
17. Business Writing: Lynn Gaertner-Johnston, founder of Syntax Training in Seattle, Washington, is fairly contagious with her passion for a well-written message or document.
18. Claude Adams, Freelance Journalism: This man is a freelance journalist, documentary filmmaker and teacher of broadcast journalism theory and practice.
19. CopyBlogger: Brian Clark is an authority when it comes to blog writing and you cannot afford to miss any of his articles if you want to become a good writer. Seriously.
20. Freelance Copywriters Blog: This blog is a resource for copywriters, business owners and those who enjoy writing and perhaps want to take their skill to another level.
21. ProFreelancing: Chad has a degree in English and a career as a copywriter. Learn from his expertise.
22. Recovering Journalist: Mark Potts is an entrepreneur and consultant who works with media and Internet companies on strategy and product development. This blog contains his throughts on how writers and readers create, receive and interact with news, information and advertising.
23. The Copywriter Underground: Tom Chandler writes, consults and teaches marketing for over two decades.
24. The Copywriter’s Crucible: Matt has written articles, websites and sales copy on all sorts of topics, and he shares his content development on this blog.
25. The Well-Fed Writer Blog: Veteran commercial freelancer Peter Bowerman is the author of the award-winning Well-Fed Writer titles, which are how-to standards in the field of lucrative commercial freelancing-writing for businesses.
26. The Write Blog: A direct concept — create a copywriting business and your writers also can blog about tips and gems of wisdom. Great blog for forging new links, battling writer’s block and more.
27. Writing White Papers: This blog belongs to Michael Stelzner, the author of Writing White Papers and writer of more than 130 white papers for recognized companies.

Blogging Skills

28. Blogging Basics 101: There are no ’stupid questions’ at this blog, which is focused on blogging, blogging tools and jobs.
29. Blogging Tips: Take your blog to the next level with advice, forums, themes, useful links and much more offered by the writers at this blog.
30. John Chow dot com: This dot.com mogul has survived the worst of the worst and lives to write about how you, too, can write for a living.
31. ProBlogger: If you’re a blogger and you don’t know Darren Rowse, then you haven’t scoped out the best in the art of blogging and making money.
32. ReadWriteWeb: ReadWriteWeb provides analysis of Web products and trends as well as tips and tricks to intelligent blogging.
33. The Writer’s Manifesto: This blog is about sharing the knowledge of making money on the Internet. It is about blogging, freelancing, affiliate marketing and Internet marketing.

Writing Tools and Tips

34. Confident Writing: Power up your words and find your writing boice through this blog, based upon the book and the Confident Writing writers’ retreats.
35. DailyBlogTips: Daniel Scoccos tarted developing blogs and websites in 2005, and Daily Blog Tips is the place where he shares what he learned along the way.
36. Daily Writing Tips: DailyWritingTips is designed to help you find simple and effective daily tips to improve your writing, in a format easy to fit into your busy work day.
37. Grammar Blog: This site has been “mocking poor grammar” since 2007. Find tips on how to avoid being mocked yourself.
38. Men With Pens: This blog is written by two amazing writers who want you to improve your writing skills.
39. Motivated Grammar: Gabe Doyle, a fourth-year graduate student in Linguistics at the University of California, is not the grammar police. Nor is he a mocker. He has embarked on a mission to show that grammar should consist of rules that allow us to communicate more efficiently, clearly, and understandably — period.
40. The “Blog” of “Unnecessary” Quotation Marks: You may or may not learn any grammar “rules” from this “blog,” but you can have a “good” laugh perusing the site.
41. The Grammarphobia Blog: This site gets a huge nod, because it’s more than grammar — it’s all about learning, about all sorts of odd things. Great for boning up on writing skills as well as chipping away at writer’s block.
42. Time to Write: Jurgen Wolff offers tips, ideas and inspirations for writers and would-be writers and other creative people.
43. Write to Done: If you’re a freelance writer who is familiar with Zen Habits and you like Leo Babauta’s writing style, then you’ll love his blog about the craft and the art of writing.
44. Writing Forward: This is a creative writing blog filled with grammar tips, literary news and writing exercises that help writers hone their skills.

Writers Writing for Writers

45. Achieve Freelance Writing Success: Chris’s main source of income is freelance writing, but he also earn through blogging and affiliate marketing, as well as other methods. This blog shows how you can make money as a freelance writer, too.
46. Bad Language: Matthew Stibbe is Writer in chief at Articulate Marketing and editor of Golf Hotel Whiskey, the free online magazine for pilots. he writes about writing (many different genres) in this blog.
47. Freelance Writing: Allena Tapia offers great advice, tools, links and news for all freelance writers, including tips on how to get published in major outlets and salary information.
48. The Anti 9-to-5 Blog: Michelle Goodman fled her cubicle in 1992 to become a freelance writer. She writes for some healthy clients and offers some advice on how to thrive and survive as a freelance writer yourself.
49. The Writer’s Blog By Dana Prince: Dana offers tips for writers, mentoring for new writers and stories about her own journey as a freelance writer.
50. Successful Freelance Writer: This blogger writes about her writing career with the motivation that the more experience she gains and the knowledge she uncovers, the more opportunities she can open for other writers.

Print Journalism

Even though newspapers are in decline, print journalists have had an important place in history. Many print publications are moving to the Internet, and many print journalists today augment their columns by writing blogs. Here are some of the most influential print journalists in history:

1. John Peter Zenger: This man published the New York Weekly Journal in the 1700s. He wrote unflattering things about the British government, and in 1735 he was arrested and tried for libel. He was found not guilty, since what he wrote was based on fact. His case not only helped influence the American Revolution, but established one of the litmus tests for libel.
2. Benjamin Franklin: We know that Benjamin Franklin had a lot of interests. But many people don’t realize that the inventor and founding father was also a journalist. His The Pennsylvania Gazette began in the 1730s, and Franklin used it to help get his ideas out there and influence the populace leading up to the American Revolution.
3. William Randolph Hearst: Hearst was well known as one of the biggest publishers and journalists of his time. He started with The San Francisco Examiner, and went from there. Hearst was one of the instigators of “yellow journalism” which started a whole branch of journalism that involved sensationalism.
4. Joseph Pulitzer: This man is so famous that his name is on the prize given for the best journalism contributions. Joseph Pulitzer wrote for newspapers and later purchased and ran the New York World. After it became obvious that his circulation war with Hearst was becoming problematic for the sensationalized stories, he gravitated toward truth in journalism. He was indicted for libel when he exposed an illegal payment to the French Panama Canal Company, but since the story was based on fact, the indictment was dismissed.
5. Tom Wolfe: In the 1960s and 1970s, news writing and journalism underwent a bit of a transformation, and was called “new journalism“. One of those at the forefront was Tom Wolfe. This was magazine journalism, and Wolfe helped established a style that was carried on in long-form narrative, using scenes rather than straight-out facts.
6. Hunter S. Thompson: Like Wolfe, Hunter S. Thompson was heavily involved in the new journalism movement. He was a proponent of “Gonzo journalism“, in which reporters actually become involved in action of the story, participating in the events, rather than just watching and reporting. He recently committed suicide (in 2005), but his influence on journalism and literary tradition remains strong.
7. Woodward and Bernstein: Admittedly, these are two separate people. But they are forever linked by their stories that brought then-president Richard Nixon down over the Watergate scandal. Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein are well-known for their investigative journalism and for proving that it was still possible for the press to effectively hold the government accountable.
8. Helen Thomas: This woman is the first lady of print journalism. Helen Thomas is a veteran journalist in the finest tradition, and has been a White House reporter since 1961. She is known for her relentless questions, and for her ability to get to the heart of the matter. Thomas gained new influence and prominence during the administration of George W. Bush for her sharp questions and criticisms.
9. Robert Novak: A moderate/liberal turned conservative, Robert Novak was known for his columns and stories in a variety of newspapers. He was a reporter and later became a Washington insider. He helped play a role in CNN when it was founded, bringing the credibility of print journalism to broadcast journalism. He died in 2009 after a battle with a brain tumor.
10. Judith Miller: One of the most famous journalists of our time is Judith Miller. She was known for her exclusive stories with Ahmad Chalabi in the run-up to the Iraq War, and for her breaking news stories. She is a Washington insider with contacts in high places. Miller gained increased, er, press when she went to jail over the Valerie Plame scandal when she refused to reveal her sources.
11. Seymour Hersh: Recognized as one of the best investigative journalists of the current era, Seymour Hersh is known for his exclusive military contacts, and for his hard-hitting pieces. He is meticulous, and writes for The New Yorker, and his influence helped reshape the debate over the Iraq War.
12. Maureen Dowd: As the only female op-ed writer for The New York Times, Maureen Dowd has significant influence. Her ideas are polarizing, though, and that makes for interesting debate. Dowd is known for her beginning as a gritty reporter, and is now known for her Washington contacts and her ability to influence debate.

Broadcast Journalism

Television and radio changed the look of journalism. There are many broadcast journalists who have influenced journalism, and even the world.

13. Edward R. Murrow: The most distinguished figure in broadcast journalism in the U.S. is Edward R. Murrow. He developed many of the techniques associated with newsgathering for broadcast. His integrity, and his willingness to go up against the “powers that be” was a mark of his career. He influenced public opinion and even policy by exposing the abuses of power in the government.
14. Walter Cronkite: Another icon of American broadcast journalism, Walter Cronkite was known for his investigative journalism, fulfilling his watchdog role, and for his matter-of-fact way of delivering the news as a CBS anchor. He died in 2009.
15. Ted Koppel: Many of the most influential journalists have been TV newsmen, and Ted Koppel is no exception. His newscasts and his newsgathering was a standard of journalism for years. Koppel hob-nobbed with decision makers and interviewed the powerful. Now retired, he hosts a show on Discovery.
16. Dan Rather: Early in his career, Dan Rather was known for his investigations, and for his meticulous newsgathering. He was influential, interviewing the politically powerful, and for exposing government cover-ups. However, a snafu over false documents related to George W. Bush tarnishes his career.
17. Barbara Walters: As one of the most influential broadcasters is Barbara Walters. She was one of the first women to become a successful broadcast journalist. She started as a research and writer, and soon worked up to become an interviewer and one of the faces of television.
18. Tim Russert: Well known for his ability to get the powerful decision makers to explain themselves, Tim Russert is considered one of the most influential broadcast journalists. In order for aspiring Washington insiders to get anywhere, they first have to appear on Russert’s “Meet the Press” and answer questions.
19. Wolf Blizter: One of today’s most influential broadcast journalists is Wolf Blitzer. He is seen everywhere, and is one of the most well-known insiders in Washington. Indeed, his shows and his ability to be heard makes him a force to be reckoned with.
20. Gloria Borger: As one of the broadcasters known for exposing the machinations of Washington, Gloria Borger is quietly influential. Her stories are aimed at helping people understand what is going on, and she is a CBS correspondent and PBS commentator.
21. Katie Couric: Katie Couric is the first female anchor of a major network’s evening news. She has appeared on 60 Minutes and done a great deal in terms of journalism. Now, she anchors the CBS Evening News. She interviews the powerful, and reaches hundreds of thousands in their homes.
22. Cokie Roberts: As someone raised in Washington, and well-acquainted with life on Capitol Hill, Cokie Roberts is an adept at exposing the excesses in government, and offering reason and moderation. Her broadcast career encompasses ABC and NPR, and she also writes a syndicated column.
23. Brit Hume: Fox News isn’t exactly known as a bastion of actual journalism, but Brit Hume, the anchor of Special Report is known for his hard work and integrity. He is recognized as influential, as his weeknight show was the #1 political program in its time slot. He stepped down, though, after saying that he lost his enthusiasm for the job.
24. Jim Lehrer: The venerable Jim Lehrer is know as the most thoughtful broadcast journalist right now. His PBS newscast is known for its insight, and he is respected by his peers and by decision makers as someone with integrity, savvy and good sense.
25. Anderson Cooper: First rising to prominence as a reporter for CNN during Hurricane Katrina, Anderson Cooper is known one of the most influential broadcast journalists around. While he hosts his even show from New York City, he often still travels to report on breaking news. He interviews the rich and powerful, and many enjoy watching his newscast. His “everyman” persona, combined with his classic attractiveness, is one of his most powerful assets as a journalist.

The following list of top 50 free open courseware classes for journalists includes classes offered by college and universities. But, it also includes entire Websites sponsored by nonprofit foundations and colleges, which are dedicated to teaching readers about journalism. This list is categorized and listed alphabetically by course name or Web site name within those categories, and the sponsoring college or foundation is listed after each description.

New Media

1. Center for the Digital Future: Read about digital futures, conduct research and learn about current news and events within a global project that focuses on understanding mass media’s impact [USC Annenberg School Center for the Digital Future].
2. Digital Broadcasting and the Public Interest: This online program includes essays with an eye to regulation, Constitutionality and policy in digital broadcasting [The Aspen Institute].
3. Electronic Frontier Foundation: Use this site to learn more about bloggers’ rights, coders’ rights, social networking, surveillance self defense and more [Electronic Frontier Foundation].
4. Institute for Interactive Journalism: Use this site as your personal incubator for innovative news experiments thatuse new technologies and engage people in critical public issues [American University].
5. Institute for New Media Studies: Stay on top of current events, take advantage of tutorials and handouts and gain skills in digital storytelling as well as in information technologies through this site [University of Minnesota].
6. Journalism in the Digital Age: John Pavlik leads students through the myriad ways in which digital technologies have had an impact on journalistic practices [Columbia].
7. Online Journalism: Mindy McAdams provides a list of resources, tips, education and more on this site [University of Florida].
8. The Center for Internet and Society: Learn about emerging legal doctrine that could determine the course of civil rights and technological innovation [Stanford Law School].

Documentaries and Photojournalism

9. Documentary Filmmakers’ Statement of Best Practices in Fair Use: Download the handbook and take advantage of the knowledge provided by veteran filmmakers [Center for Social Media].
10. Documentary Photography and Photo Journalism: Still Images of A World In Motion: Gain exposure to the work of great documentary photographers and photojournalists through this course [MIT].
11. EP Feature Articles: Use this link to learn more about editorial photography from the masters [Editorial Photographers].
12. National Press Photographers Association: This site is filled with professional development tools that range from workshops to self training [National Press Photographers Association].
13. Photography and Truth: This course serves up an anthropological approach to photography as art, research tool and communication [MIT].
14. Producing Films for Social Change: Learn more about film making and documentaries in general through this editorial and production course filled with examples [Tufts].

Reporting

15. BBC Free Online Courses: Learn how the BBC uses DV cameras and radio to broadcast their news. Topics include radio interviews, pre-production for television and software instructions [BBC].
16. Covering Terrorism – A Series of Two E-Seminars: Brigitte Nacos, Associate Professor of Political Science at Columbia University, examines the “marriage of convenience that exists between terrorists and the media” [Columbia].
17. YouTube Reporters’ Center: This YouTube offering brings video instruction, advice and more from top news sources to one handy place to learn more about reporting techniques [Various].
18. War Reporting – A Series of Three E-Seminars: Professor Tom Lansner, a former war correspondent for the British Press, covers a broad swath of battlefield journalism through these seminars [Columbia].

Theory

19. Gender and Media Studies: Women and the Media: Learn more about race, class, gender and sexual identity are represented in media from film to television, print journalism and more [MIT].
20. Media in Cultural Context: Popular Readerships: This course introduces students to a broad history of popular reading, with focuses on reader response theory, hypertext and historical materials [MIT].
21. News Reporting Simulation: A Fire Scenario: Your assignment is to cover a fire for a newspaper with a two-hour deadline [Columbia].

History and Research

22. Local TV News Media Project: use this site to learn more about television as a news media source. Click on “publications” to read reports and essays [University of Delaware].
23. Moving Image Research Collections: This collection is under conservation to encourage new interpretations of the recent past [University of South Carolina].
24. Museum of the Moving Image: Visit the “Web Projects” section to gain access to links about journalism and documentaries [Museum of the Moving Image].
25. Newseum: If you cannot visit this Washington, DC museum, visit the site to look at archived materials and to learn more about the news media throughout this country’s history [Newseum].
26. Newspaper & Current Periodical Reading Room: This is a division of the Library of Congress, offering vast resources for historians, journalists and researchers [Library of Congress].
27. The Museum of Broadcast Communications: The mission of the Museum of Broadcast Communications (MBC) is to collect, preserve and present historic and contemporary radio and television content as well as educate, inform and entertain the public [The Museum of Broadcast Communications].
28. The Paley Center for Media: The Paley Center for Media leads the discussion about the cultural, creative, and social significance of television, radio, and emerging platforms for the professional community and media-interested public. [Paley Center for Media].
29. UCLA Film and Television Archive: A unique resource for media study, the Archive constitutes one of the largest collections of media materials in the United States [UCLA].

Editing

30. Aces: This site promotes programs, education and more for copy editors who work in newspapers, magazines, Web sites and other reporting endeavors [ACES].
31. Copyediting: This site is geared toward communications officers of major corporations, editors of trade newsletters, freelancers for journal publishers, newspaper copy chiefs and more. Use this site to gain access to language news, style advice and usage tips [McMurry, Inc.].
32. EditTeach: This entire site is dedicated to teaching and resources for editing professors, students and working professionals [Knight Foundation, Committee of Concerned Journalists].
33. Institute for Midcareer Copy Editors: Use this link to discover hundreds of resources for copy editors [Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication].
34. Virtual Writing Center: Print out these handouts, or refer to them online for everything from citation styles to cover letters, types of writing and styles of writing [The Writing Center].

Collections

35. Center for the Study of the Public Domain: Learn more about the realm of material in the public domain as well as a wider intellectual property program included at this site [Duke].
36. Columbia Journalism School Seminars: Listen to recordings of lectures and presentations by distinguished journalists and media entrepreneurs who have visited the Graduate School of Journalism [Columbia].
37. Committee of Concerned Journalists: Consider this site as an ongoing classroom filled with some of journalism’s best ideas, strategies and techniques for both journalists and citizens [Committee of Concerned Journalists].
38. Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma: This site is a resource for journalists who cover topics such as war, domestic violence, veterans’ news, traumatic situations and more. You can find information, resources, classes and seminars at this site [Columbia, Dart Society].
39. Journalism Ethics Cases Online: This set of cases was created for teachers, researchers, professional journalists and news consumers and broach topics such as privacy, conflict of interest and the role of journalists in their communities [Indiana University].
40. Journalism.org: This site is dedicated to understanding the information revolution, and contains opinion, news, tools and information basic to any journalist [Pew Research Center].
41. Knight Citizen News Network: This self-help portal guides both ordinary citizens and traditional journalists into launching and responsibly operating community news and information sites [Knight Foundation].
42. Media Helping Media Training Resources: You could spend days at this archive, as it is filled with articles written by professionals that touch on topics ranging from basic journalism to investigative techniques and media strategies [Media Ideas International Ltd. and other volunteers].
43. Multimedia and Technology Training: From FTP to Mashups, this site offers tutorials and advice from knowledgeable instructors in easy-to-understand formats [UC Berkeley, Knight Foundation].
44. News University: This entire site is devoted to training for journalists with courses that cover topics from advertising and broadcasting to photojournalism and reporting [Poynter Institute, Knight Foundation].
45. NewsCollege: This site is filled with articles and advice for writers, journalists, editors and researchers [NewsCollege].
46. Nieman Foundation for Journalism: Use this site as a repository filled with examples of narrative journalism as well as information about other programs and publications [Harvard].
47. Poynter Training: Although this page contains a link to News University (see above), it also contains information to Webinars and other tools for journalists [Poynter Institute].
48. Society of Professional Journalists Training Tutorials: Learn tips and advice from pros on everything from broadcasting to ethics in journalism and more from this site [Society of Professional Journalists].
49. State of the News Media 2008: This report constitutes an entire course in current mediums with major trends, content analysis, marketing trends and much more [The Project for Excellence in Journalism].
50. StinkyJournalism: Not all journalism stinks, but when news stories go bad, the reporter’s method usually is to blame. This site advocates more rigorous and scientific journalistic methodology [Art Science Research Laboratory, Inc.].

One way to gain perspective on this writing genre is to read what other journalists are saying about this field. Their first-hand accounts of changes within journalism, including topics such as ethics, technology and the format for journalistic writing, can be found in journalists’ blogs. The following list of top fifty journalism blogs includes blogs that focus on citizen, or grassroot, journalism, personal blogs from professional reporters, journalism school-supported blogs, blogs on a new media focus, organizational blogs and self-professed bipartisan resource blogs that provide primary resources for investigative writing. Each link within those categories is listed in alphabetical order to show readers that we do not favor one blog over another.

Citizen Journalism

1. Cplash: This is a citizen journalism platform where citizens can express, share and discuss their views and opinions about any issue.
2. CyberJournalist.net: This site is a news and resource site that focuses on how the Internet, convergence and new technologies are changing the media.
3. Global Voices: Over 200 bloggers around the world work together to provide translations and reports that normally are not heard from traditional media.
4. Media Shift: PBS and host, Mark Glaser, deliver information to the “Digital Media Revolution,” including topics on legacy media, business, social media and more.
5. Online Journalism Blog: This blog offers opinion and news on topics that range from citizen journalism to online journalism and focuses on Internet-published content.
6. Wired Journalists: This is a social media network “home” for collaborative journalism on the Web, powered by citizen journalism and supported by Publish2.

Personal Blogs

7. Aronpilhofer.com: Aron Pilhofer works for the New York Times and shares his perspectives about journalism on his blog.
8. BuzzMachine: Jeff Jarvis, author of What would Google Do? and associate professor and director of the City University (NY) interactive journalism program, blogs about media and news at this blog.
9. Common Sense Journalism: Doug Fisher, former broadcaster, newspaper reporter and wire service editor, provides his perspective on journalism today.
10. Craig Silverman: Silverman is a freelance journalist and author who lives in Montreal, Canada.
11. Cybersoc: Robin Hamman has over ten years experience devising, implementing and managing social media projects, particularly within the broadcasting and media sector.
12. Depth Reporting: Mark Schaver, assistant metro editor for the Louisville, Kentucky, Courier-Journal, shares his perspectives on journalism, technology, useful Web sites and other information.
13. DigiDave: David Cohn has worked with pioneering journalism bloggers such as Jay Rosen and Jeff Jarvis. He is an open source journalism advocate.
14. Invisible Inking: Ryan Sholin has been a corporate online news evangelist, an online editor, a reporter, a bartender and more. Now, he directs news innovation at Publish2.
15. Jaron Report: Jaron Gilinsky is a journalist and documentary filmmaker, correspondent for Time, the New York Times and Current TV, based in Jerusalem.
16. Jon Slattery: A freelance journalist out of London, England, provides outlooks from his neck of the woods.
17. Journalistics: Jeremy Porter, out of Atlanta, Georgia, started this blog on journalism, public relations and social media topics.
18. Journerdism: Will Sullivan is the Nerd behind this blog, a constant student and teacher who works days as Interactive Director at the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
19. Julie Posetti: This journalist and journalism academic from Australia who focuses on advocacy issues and who blogs at J-Scribe about many other issues.
20. Megan Taylor: Taylor is a web developer, multimedia producer and journalist who works with the Poynter Institute, PBS MediaShit and Norwood News among other organizations.
21. Teaching Online Journalism: Mindy McAdams teaches university courses about online journalism and shares her knowledge in this blog.

School-Supported Journalism Blogs

22. Center for Social Media: The School of Communication at American University sponsors this blog, which focuses on digital journalism.
23. CommPilings: The Annenberg School for Communication Library offers a blog filled with tidbits and links to resources related to a broad definition of communication – including journalism.
24. Jschool Student Blog: Students at the Journalism Education and Training college in Australia offer this blog. They include a list of online journalism student blogs from around the world as well as commentary.
25. Nieman Journalism Lab: This blog is a collaborative attempt to define journalism today. This blog is based out of Harvard, and collaborators include the Harvard Business School, the Berkman Center for Internet and Society and the Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations.
26. Notes from the Edge: This blog is sponsored by the Knight Digital Media Center, which is partnered with the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism and the USC Anneneberg School for Communication.
27. Poynter Online: Supported by a St. Petersburg, Florida school for journalism, Poynter Online delivers journalism topics and issues via this Web site, RSS, podcasts, Twitter and Facebook.
28. Reportr.net: Professor Alfred Hermida, an award-winning online news pioneer and journalism educator who teaches integrated journalism at the University of British Columbia, provides his take on media, society and technology.
29. Socialnetwork: CUNY Graduate School of Journalism hosts this blog and more on this site.
30. The Kicker: One of two blogs offered by Columbia University through their Columbia Journalism Review online.
31. The Spectrum: This blog is supported through the Urban Journalism Workshop at New York University, and is designed to encourage minority students to consider a journalism career.

Organizations

Find more organizations at Journalistics’ list.

32. Freepress: This is a national, nonpartisan and nonprofit organization that works to reform media and to encourage diverse and independent media ownership, strong public media, quality journalism and universal access.
33. Online Publishing Association: Founded in June 2001, the Online Publishers Association (OPA) is a non-profit trade organization dedicated to representing high-quality online content providers before the advertising community, the press, the government and the public.
34. PJNet: The Public Journalism Netword is a global professional association of journalists and educators. The blog is mainly written by Leonard Witt, the Robert D. Fowler Distinguished Chair in Communication at Kennesaw State University, who focuses on citizen journalism.
35. Society of Professional Journalists: This organization, founded in 1909, is a broad-based organization dedicated to encouraging free journalistic practice based upon high ethical standards. They include a list of blogs through their site as well as news.

New Media Focus

36. Editor & Publisher: This site and it’s blog/news resource covers all aspects of the North American newspaper industry.
37. Hypercrit: Michael Becker writes about journalism, but with a broader lens on new media and digital culture.
38. Innovation in College Media: The Center for Innovation in College Media is a non-profit think-tank that was created to help college student media adapt and flourish in the new media environment.
39. Innovation Journalism: This blog on journalism, information, public affairs, public relations and media is provided by Jan Sandred, 2004 Innovation Journalism Fellow and Business Reporter at San Francisco Chronicle 2005.
40. Mediactive: The goal behind this blog is to help people become active and informed media users, consumers and creators. Dan Gillmor, director of the Knight Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship at Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, is in charge.
41. Multimedia training and video journalism: Robb Montgomery trains journalists and media professional in multimedia reporting. His blog provides insight into his work.
42. Photojournalism From A Student’s Eye: A student in photojournalism shares his portfolio as well as his perspectives on this form of journalism.
43. Publishing 2.0: This blog focuses on how technology is transforming media, news and journalism.
44. The Digital Journalist: This online magazine focuses on journalism as presented mainly through images. Watch this one closely, as it has grown tremendously over the past few years.
45. The Nonprofit Road: A look at journalism as a nonprofit venture, an emerging business model.

Resources

46. Capital Eye Blog: This blog, sponsored by OpenSecrets.org, focuses on a nonpartisan perspective about money, influence and elections and public policy.
47. Governmentdocs Blog: This collaborative project contains a vast database of government documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act. The blog focuses on news, transparency and accountability.
48. LittleSis: The proclaimed “antidote” to Big Brother, this is a free database that details “connections between powerful people and organizations.” The blog is where the LittleSis team and guest bloggers post commentary, research and updates.
49. OpenCongress Blog: OpenCongress uses open source tools to track bills, representatives, funding, and votes and provides some analysis and site news on its blog.
50. The GovTrack Blog: This blog focuses on site news and occasional analysis of U.S. legislation and is part of a larger tool that feeds legislation from various states.

Introduction to Media Studies
This is the course for Media Studies for students who are grown up in global multimedia environment and wish to be literate and critical consumer and producers of media. This course defines all the aspects of media, including, oral, print, performance, photographic, broadcast, cinematic and digital cultural forms and practices. This course looks at the Mediated communication, the functions of media, the history of transformations in media and role of media in society.

Effective Writing and Communication
There are a number of free online classes on writing and communication which are fundamental in journalism available from reputable colleges and universities. These classes teach you how to improve your grammar and communication skills in journalism. They also teach you how to understand and connect effectively with others. Among the other classes available is cleaning your copy. It will teach you on identifying grammar mistakes i.e. is stylistics and spelling errors. It’s very suitable for learners who have a serious intention in pursing journalism as a full time career.

BBC Writing Training
The BBC news style guide highlights various aspects of methods by the news agency BBC .It helps you to become a more effective writer. There is also the technology for professional writer’s classes. The classes explore the different technology available for writers who do not have the necessary background on technology.

Columbia Interactive Journalism Course
This open courseware is part of the curriculum offered at Columbia University under subject journalism.  It consist of new updates and news about journalism part of university syllabus and there is consisted a good number of list on topics under e-seminar provided over here.

News University
News University was consisted and prepared by The Poynter Institute for Media Studies funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.  NewsU cater to the journalists need for the training and provide interactive, inexpensive courses that are preferred by journalist at all level of experience ad in all types of media.

Information Law and Policy
This open course deals with a number of policies that is related to copyright and other laws related to this aspect of journalistic as well as creative writing. Course provides an introduction to the students about copyright, legal protection to database, licensing of information, consumer protection, liability for insecure systems and defective information, privacy and international information policy.

Communications and Information Policy
Course featured with an extensive readings list, lecture notes, and examples of team project gives an introduction to the technology and policy context of public communication networks. This course discusses communication models as represented by government and complexities of ever emerging technologies in context of government model and other related issues.

To become successful in the journalism field it is important to have a few attributes like a general interest in people and the things that happen around them. A person should also be inquisitive in nature, have good communication skills, be versatile and adventurous and the communication skills should also be to perfection. If you are the type that is able to meet deadlines and have an opinion on everything that happens, then an online journalism course will be best for you. Journalism is a broad field and it comes with many practices and theories, so when finding a good online journalism school get to know the modules that are offered in the school.

Newspaper and journal writing, editing, broadcast journalism, media law and ethics and photo journalism are some of the areas that an online journalism college offers. Depending on the choice of school you can get a diploma, degree and masters in Arts and journalism. With a diploma any media institution can give you a job. When taking up a course in journalism you will need all the practical and theory when it comes to editing, reporting and writing either for magazines, newspapers, television and website reporting. So look for a good school and begin the course that works for you.