Undergraduate Library Orientation

Information as Events Take Place

Reported in spoken format

• Television news 
• Radio broadcasts

Reported on Internet news sites such as:

• CNN
• The New York Times
• Fox News
• Politico
• Posted to social media

It may be flawed because not all information is available.

After the Initial Event
A day or two after the event, articles will appear in newspapers and then in weekly news magazines that will provide broader coverage of the event with more details. 

• These articles are written by staff members working for newspapers and magazines.
• Authors may or may not be experts on their assigned topics.

Three to Six Months After the Initial Event

• Lengthier articles begin to appear in academic literature.
• Articles tend to be written by people who are experts in the field.
• Many facts will be included, along with the analysis of those facts, the history of the topic, both relative to this particular case and in general, and possible consequences of the event.

In One to Three Years

• Books will appear about the topic.
• Experts or non-experts can write books.
• They can be scholarly or popular.
• They may include a list of resources or a bibliography, or not.

Finally

• If the event or topic was of enough interest or had a significant impact, a brief article or outline of the event will appear in a reference tool such as an encyclopedia or handbook.

Summing It Up

• For a summary of the Information Cycle, please watch this video.