Comparing Media Systems

• 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

• 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
  

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
  

• Country Profiles (BBC)
• Each profile includes a section on the media

Databases

• LexisNexis Academic
• Factiva
  
• Access World News (NewsBank)
  

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