The following links are just a sampling of the hundreds of websites out there that can answer your questions about the electronic media and telecommunications. Preference was given to “official” websites and the resources we found most useful, accurate, and comprehensive. We hope this can serve as a launching pad from which you can find out more about the media and its role in society.

Please let us know if you find new resources to add to the list.

Supreme Court Decisions

• Cornell University maintains a comprehensive list, indexed by name, of all decisions since 1990, and selected historic decisions.
• FedWorld published by the Department of Commerce has searchable collections of over 7000 decisions between 1937 and 1975.

Federal Appeals Courts Decisions

• Federal Courts Finder: an excellent site maintained by Emory Law School, has decisions since 1995.

Executive and Legislative Branches

• House Committee on Energy and Commerce
  • Telecommunications issues handled by the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet.
• Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
• THOMAS: Search Senate and House legislation and committee reports.
• The White House

Government Agencies

• Federal Communications Commission
• Federal Trade Commission
• U.S. Department of Justice, Antitrust Division
• National Telecommunications and Information Administration within the Department of Commerce

General Reference and Index

• Law.com: Features articles and documents about hot issues, a lawyer search function, recent opinions of note, and discussion groups about many fields of law
• GPO Access: Search text of bills, the FY 1997 budget, Congressional Record, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, legislative histories, hearings, and more
• The Law Engine: Dazzlingly comprehensive list of links for legal research resources on the web. Federal, state, legislative materials, education, government agencies, dictionaries, news of the world…it’s all here!
• Law Links by Lexis’ Counsel Connect. Comprehensive research links in all fields of law, for lawyers and non-lawyers alike.
• ‘Lectric Law Library This extensive collection has cases, laws, and articles – and a good sense of humor — about many fields of law.
• The Legislative Branch The Library of Congress maintains this general resource about Congress and the federal legislature.
• Parrot Media Network Searchable directories of radio, TV, cable, and newspapers.
• Virtual Law Library: Indiana University Law School’s corner of the W3 Virtual Library.

Public Interest Organizations

• The ACLU is active in <A HREF=”http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/”>free speech</A>, such as V-Chip provision and censorship of the electronic media, and “‘cyber-liberties,’”:http://www.aclu.org/cyberliberties/ such as online speech and privacy.
• The Benton Foundation
• Center for Digital Democracy
• Center for Democracy and Technology: Organized and led the largest coalition to challenge the “Communications Decency Act,” and has led the fight for a strong encryption policy.
• The Center for Social Media: has a number of resources including the “Digital Futures: A Need-to-Know Policy Guide for Independent Filmmakers.”
• Consumer Federation of America
• Consumer Project on Technology: Specializing in telecommunications issues such as ISDN pricing, direct broadcast satellite ownership, and media concentration.
• Consumers Union
• Electronic Frontier Foundation
• Electronic Privacy Information Center: A public interest research center protecting privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values in the information age.
• Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting: A national media watch group offering well-documented criticism in an effort to correct media bias and imbalance.
• Free Press: A national nonpartisan organization working to increase informed public participation in crucial media policy debates.
• Future of Music Coalition: A not-for-profit collaboration between members of the music, technology, public policy and intellectual property law communities.
• Institute for Public Representation at Georgetown University Law Center.
• Leadership Conference on Civil Rights: The nation’s oldest, largest, and most diverse civil rights coalition is working to raise public awareness about the connections between media and communications policy and concerns about social justice and equal opportunity.
• Media Alliance
• Media Channel
• Media Policy Initiative at the New America Foundation
• Open Technology Initiative at the New America Foundation
• Our Media Voice: Campaign for Accountability to establish a citizen’s media rights education campaign, national coalition for media reform, a clearinghouse for media activism and broadcast viewer feedback forums.
• Reporters Committee on Freedom in the Press: A nonprofit organization dedicated to providing free legal help to reporters and news organizations. It is a rich source for FOIA information
• Wireless Future Program at the New America Foundation
• Women’s Institute for Freedom of the Press: Information on media democracy and women’s media, including an online international Directory of Women’s Media.

Telecommunications Law

• Telecommunications Act of 1996: Online and indexed. (The Wisconsin Division for Libraries and Community Learning also maintains an online index which has the legislative history of the Act).

Trade Associations

• American Library Association
• Association of America’s Public Television Stations
• Corporation for Public Broadcasting
• Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association
• Electronic Industries Alliance
• Motion Picture Association of America
• National Association of Broadcasters
• National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners
• National Cable &amp; Telecommunications Association
• National Education Association
• National Federation of Community Broadcasters
• Recording Industry Association of America
• Satellite Broadcasting and Communications Association
• United States Internet Provider Association
• United States Telecom Association