Wil Hammond - Review #6

Web Site: http://www.russiatoday.com/

1. What is the scope of the site.
1. This site includes just about everything that has to due with Russian current events, however it does not cover Russian history, nor does it cover other European happenings. It contains many links to different stories that are covered within. The site is organized like a newspaper that has been placed online. I found this site very easy to navigate.

2. Who are the sites authors? (person, institution)
2. The authors differ throughout the site due to the type of site there are stories from the AP wire and stories written by staff members, no credentials are given on the site. The site’s affiliation is a for-profit online newspaper dealing with Russia, written for English-speaking people who have interest in Russia for personal or professional reasons.

3. What category does the site fit in (what type of information are you getting from that site)?
3. This is an Electronic Periodical, designed for English speaking people that have cultural, business, or personal interest in the day to day happenings of Russia. It’s an online newspaper in English about Russia. 

4. What is its focus: American, non-Western, etc., time-period or general
4. The main focus of this website is Russia and the issue facing Russia today.

5. Rate the information contained in the site:
5. I do believe the facts on this website are true and as accurate as possible due to the fact that international news organizations such as AP  and Reuters contribute stories to this site. The information is documented in a news story format commonly known as “AP style”. The information is current, being updated on a constant basis. I do not feel information is bias, due to the organizations that contribute to this site. There is no criteria listed for the site but one could only assume that it would have to newsworthy material. This site is very well researched with everything from sports scores and stories to a travel section. One could only hope that other sites could compare to this one by way of current events.

6. Rate the site:
6. This site is a very stable source of information; it even contains a live web cam shot of downtown Moscow. The last update that I saw had occurred about 15 minutes before I hit the site. This site has received several awards from many publications. There was a page deticated to awards some of which came from Newsweek, USA Today, and Webcrawler (a well-known Internet search engine).

7. How does this site relate to the course you are currently taking?  How helpful/not helpful is it?  Would you recommend it to other students?
7. This site does not cover Europe to well, but covers Russia like no other site I’ve come across. It would be a wonderful tool if studying Russian current events.

8. Write a brief narrative summary of the site.  What courses and kinds of research would this site be most useful for?
8. This is one of the best sites I’ve ever come across on the subject of modern day Russia. It contains everything you could possibly want to know about Russia today. This would be a wonderful website if you are studying Russia or even planning to travel to Russia, you can even get a weather report so you know how to pack.