This guide provides political, social, and economic frameworks for comparing media systems.
Scholarly Journals Databases
Scholarly Journals/Research Databases
- ABI/Inform Complete (ProQuest) (Business focus)

- Database of scholarly journals, trade magazines, and other periodicals and business news sources, primarily U.S.-focused
- Good source for current business news and analysis of media companies and industry trends from trade publications
- Search for entities ("MTV Asia") or topics ("media ethics")
- Communication & Mass Media Complete (Communications focus)

- Communication Abstracts (Communications focus)

- ProQuest Research Library (Cross-disciplinary focus)

- Database of U.S. and international periodicals covering a broad range of subjects, including communications
- Worldwide Political Science Abstracts (Political focus)

- Articles on news media, press freedom, media controls, etc. in political and scholarly journals
International Organizations and Summits
- CIAO (Columbia International Affairs Online)

- Key in a search term like "press censorship" for a list of full-text sources on that topic
- International Telecommunications Union
- Conducts country case studies and publishes reports on media systems, Internet policy, background information, analysis and description of models or strategies employed by a country
- Downloadable PDF files on their website by country and topic
- Some reports are owned as print volumes by the Penn State University Libraries. Search the CAT for more information
- Wide range of comparative data reports available:
- Yearbook of statistics : Telecommunication Services
- Measuring the information society : ICT opportunity index and world telecommunication/ICT indicators
- Also available as CD-ROM World telecommunication indicators database
- Provides measures across 183 countries; helps measure information and communication technologies (ICTs) education and skills, uptake and intensity of the use of ICT
- Economies are grouped into four categories, ranging from high to low ICT Opportunities
- Highlights relative movements over historical time periods
- A comparison of annual average growth rates shows which countries are making progress and how fast
- SourceOECD

- An example of one of the books is Telecoms Infrastructure to 2030
- For recent comparable data on the performance of the communications sector in OECD countries and their policy frameworks, see OECD's Country Reports and Tables
- Includes annual reports such as OECD Communications Outlook
- Chapter on broadcasting services
- Statistics on trends in media usage, convergence, digital television, etc.
- Examines major changes and future trends in the telecommunications industry
- Explores developments in Internet, broadcasting, and cable television
- World Bank e-Library

- Includes many titles on communications, some focusing on country-specific topics, others on regional and global issues
- Disable pop-up blocker to read e-books
- World Summit on the Information Society (2003, 2005, 2009)
- Goals: To develop and foster a clear statement of political will and take concrete steps to establish the foundations for an Information Society for all, reflecting all the different interests at stake
- Reports and Summit documents contain information on television, Internet, PC penetration, legal and regulatory frameworks for countries and regions
A Country's Press/Media
Databases
- Encyclopedia of International Media and Communications

- Search by subject or country
- Country overview includes political structure, media ownership
- Limited statistics available
- World Press Encyclopedia
- Overview of the press by country
- Information on political and economic framework, press laws and censorship
- For print edition, check the CAT
Print Resources
- Freedom of the Press : A Global Survey of Media Independence
- Annual short reports on the state of press freedom in 193 countries
- Map of Press Freedom
- Legal, political, and economic environment analyzed for each country; numerical scores assigned to each of these indicators with high scores indicating limited or no press freedom
- Yearbook of Asia-Pacific Telecommunications
- Insight into the region and its players
- Commentary on the regulatory and political developments affecting the communications industry as a whole in 15 Asia-Pacific countries
- Provides detailed profiles covering 15 countries and 26 companies
- Yearbook (European Audiovisual Observatory): A comprehensive series (5 volumes) featuring a wealth of information on:
- The economy of the radio and TV industry in Europe (volume 1)
- Household AV equipment, television audience, and transmission statisctics (volume 2)
- Film and home video statistics (volume 3)
- Multimedia and new technologies (volume 4)
- Television channels, production, and distribution (volume 5)
- Handbook of the Media in Asia
- Background reading on how the media sector operates within the political, legal, and financial frameworks of Asian countries
- Information on industry structure, mass media penetration, and ownership
- Includes statistics on key industry indicators including ad revenue and circulation
Specific Country Information
- Country Profiles (BBC)
- Each profile includes a section on the media
News Sources
Company/Industry Information Resources
Databases
- Standard & Poor's NetAdvantage

- Includes regional global industry surveys in the areas of broadcasting, cable, publishing, and telecommunications
- Good source for media statistics, information on key regional players in the media industry, and advertising spending by country (including projections and analysis)
- Up-to-date information
- Also a valuable source for company news and data
Books and Documentaries
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