Extemporaneous Speaking Resources

Information about some of the more popular resources of Extemporaneous Speakers.  (Free database listings are at the bottom.)

The Christian Science Monitor
“The Christian Science Monitor is an international news organization that delivers thoughtful, global coverage…our aim is to embrace the human family, shedding light and understanding with the conviction that truth is the beginning of solutions. This conviction has served our readers and story subjects well over the years, winning us seven Pulitzer Prizes and more than a dozen Overseas Press Club awards…We're unrelenting but fair.  We're excited by what’s new and developing - yet always mindful of the history behind us.  We're broad in scope but written for the individual.  And we make a point of resisting the sensational in favor of the meaningful.  We're also free to be an independent voice, devoid of the corporate allegiances and pressures that critics say too often skew today's media.”

Website: http://www.csmonitor.com/
Subscription: http://www.csmonitor.com/About/Subscriptions
Cost: weekly publication for $13 for the first 26 weeks (Canada is $18.38)

Forbes
“Forbes.com Inc. is a leading Internet media company, is among the most trusted resources for the world's business and investment leaders, providing them the uncompromising commentary, concise analysis, relevant tools and real-time reporting they need to succeed at work, profit from investing and have fun with the rewards of winning. Forbes.com includes real-time original reporting on business, technology, investing and lifestyle; stock and mutual fund quotes; comprehensive company profiles; a wide array of interactive tools, calculators and databases, including People Tracker, the annual Forbes Lists; a Lifestyle section that currently focuses on high-end vehicles, collecting, real estate and travel; and the complete online editions of Forbes' magazines.”

Website: http://www.forbes.com/
Subscription: http://www.forbes.com/magazines/
Cost: free trial issue; 25 issues for $29.99

The Economist
“Edited in London since 1843, The Economist is a weekly international news and business publication, offering clear reporting, commentary and analysis on world current affairs, business, finance, science and technology, culture, society, media and the arts. As noted on its contents page, The Economist's goal is to "take part in a severe contest between intelligence, which presses forward, and an unworthy, timid ignorance obstructing our progress." Printed in five countries, worldwide circulation is now over one million, and The Economist is read by more of the world's political and business leaders than any other magazine.”

Website: http://www.economist.com/
Subscription: https://www.economistsubscriptions.com/ecom26/global/index.php
Cost: all offers come with four trial issues included in the total issue amount
         Students - 51 issues for $77, 25 issues for $39.90, or 12 issues for $19.95
         Regular - 102 issues for $223.38, 51 issues for $126.99, or 25 issues for $67.25

U.S. News and World Report
“U.S.News & World Report came into existence through a journalistic merger. In 1933, journalist David Lawrence published the first issue of a weekly newspaper called the United States News. Six years later, he launched a magazine called World Report. When the two weeklies merged in 1948, U.S.News & World Report was born…”

U.S. News & World Report provides a focus on mostly American news such as politics and policy, health, finance, science, travel, education, cars, and their popular and informative lists of rankings (notably the best high schools, colleges/universities, and grad schools). 

Website: http://www.usnews.com/
Subscription: https://secure.palmcoastd.com/pcd/document?ikey=020DA9S08
Cost: Print - 1 year (24 issues) for $15; 2 years for $25
         Digital - 4 issues $3.95; 1 year special offer for $19.95, regular for $24.95

The Wall Street Journal
“The Wall Street Journal Digital Network is the Web's largest publisher of original business news and financial information. Led by two of the most respected Internet brands, WSJ.com and MarketWatch, The Wall Street Journal Digital Network offers editorial coverage and innovative advertising solutions that are second to none.”

Website: http://online.wsj.com/home-page
Subscription: https://services.wsj.com/Gryphon/jsp/retentionController.jsp?page=114
Cost: Print and on-line for $2.69/week (plus 2 free weeks)
         Print only for $2.29/week
         On-line only for $1.99/week

Le Monde
“Le Monde diplomatique is the place you go when you want to know what’s really happening. This is a major international paper that is truly independent, that sees the world in fresh ways, that focuses on places no other publications reach. We offer a clear, considered view of the conflicting interests and complexities of a modern global world…Our contributors are experts in their fields – area specialists, academics, writers, journalists who are close to the issues and to the people making the news.  Our readers include politicians, diplomats, policy-makers, journalists, lecturers, thinktank researchers, NGOs, opinion formers, students, and anyone who wants the real stories, reliable research and an independent viewpoint.  Le Monde diplomatique is a world famous voice in journalism dating back to 1954...LMD in English is a concise version of the Paris-based parent edition, publishing all the major stories each month, expertly translated, and with some London-based commissions too. We offer a taster of LMD quality on our website where a selection of articles are available each month.

Website: http://mondediplo.com/
Subscription: http://mondediplo.com/subscribe/
Cost: Complete Print and on-line issue every month with access to 12 years of archives for $45
         Complete on-line issue every month with access to 12 years of archives for £19 (about $29)
         Digital copy of the exact issue as it is seen in the journal every month with access to only 2 years of archives for £19 (about $29) 

Der Spiegel
International news from the German perspective.  “Der Spiegel is Europe's leading newsmagazine and Spiegel Online is the most-visited news site in Germany. Spiegel International brings this unique European perspective to the English-speaking world.

Website: http://www.spiegel.de/international/
Subscription: https://service.spiegel.de/backoffice/login-newsletter.do;jsessionid=F534EFA9FDB98AE482AFC817A2B1FC74?product=spon-en-newsletter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fservice.spiegel.de%2Fbackoffice%2Fnewsletter-service.do%3Fproduct%3Dspon-en-newsletter%26
Cost: FREE Newsletter

Science News
“Science News has been published since 1922. This award-winning biweekly news magazine covers important and emerging research in all fields of science. It publishes concise, accurate, timely articles that appeal to both general readers and scientists, reaching nearly 130,000 subscribers and more than one million readers. Audible.com distributes an audio edition of Science News. News from the Science News reporting team also appears at www.sciencenews.org. Updated daily, this site covers all areas of science.  Science News is published by Society for Science & the Public, a nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization dedicated to the public engagement in scientific research and education.

Website: http://www.sciencenews.org/
Subscription: https://sciencenewssubscriberservice.com/promo_pages/gen_order/OrderForm.php
Cost: with U.S. address, 1 year (26 issues) for $49.95 (Canada $67.95)

Amnesty International
“Amnesty International is a worldwide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all.  Our supporters are outraged by human rights abuses but inspired by hope for a better world - so we work to improve human rights through campaigning and international solidarity.  We have more than 2.8 million members and supporters in more than 150 countries and regions and we coordinate this support to act for justice on a wide range of issues.”

Website: http://www.amnesty.org/en

The Guardian
The Guardian  was founded in 1821, and it is one of the leading newspapers of the UK.  It was founded on this main principle:

"A newspaper's primary office is the gathering of news. At the peril of its soul it must see that the supply is not tainted."  The most important currency of The Guardian is trust. This is as true today as when CP Scott marked the centenary of the founding of the paper with his famous essay on journalism in 1921.  The purpose of this code is, above all, to protect and foster the bond of trust between the paper and its readers, and therefore to protect the integrity of the paper and of the editorial content it carries."

Website: http://www.guardian.co.uk/
Subscription: http://www.guardian.co.uk/subscription-services
Cost: Digital - for both The Guardian and The Observer (the sister newspaper, and the world’s oldest Sunday paper) for £10.56, about $16, a month (less if only one is subscribed to)

Foreign Policy
“Founded in 1970 by Samuel Huntington and Warren Demian Manshel, and now published by the Slate Group, a division of Washingtonpost.Newsweek Interactive, LLC, in Washington, D.C., FOREIGN POLICY is the premier, award-winning magazine of global politics, economics, and ideas. After winning our third Ellie (National Magazine Award) in six years, we believe the judges said it best:

“Serious without being pompous, deep without being self-indulgent…”

Website: http://www.foreignpolicy.com/
Subscription: https://www.cambeywest.com/subscribe/?p=frp&f=paid&s=I101HBNK
Cost: Print - 1 year (7 issues) for $24.95 (Canada $36.95; International $42.95)
         Electronic - 1 year (7 issues) for $24.95 (for the US, Canada, and International)

Foreign Affairs
“Since its founding in 1922, Foreign Affairs has been the leading forum for serious discussion of American foreign policy and international affairs. It is published by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), a non-profit and nonpartisan membership organization dedicated to improving the understanding of U.S. foreign policy and international affairs through the free exchange of ideas…The magazine’s first issue led with a statement setting out an editorial vision that has remained constant ever since:

“The articles in Foreign Affairs will deal with questions of international interest today. They will cover a broad range of subjects, not only political but historical and economic, and they will be accompanied, when it is desirable, by maps and diagrams. Technical articles will be left to more special magazines. There will be numerous foreign contributors, but the fact that the interest and profit of the American reader are a first consideration will not be forgotten.

“In pursuance of its ideals Foreign Affairs will not devote itself to the support of any one cause, however worthy. Like the Council on Foreign Relations from which it has sprung it will tolerate wide differences of opinion. Its articles will not represent any consensus of beliefs. What is demanded of them is that they shall be competent and well informed, representing honest opinions seriously held and convincingly expressed. We do not expect that readers of the review will sympathize with all the sentiments they find there, for some of our writers will flatly disagree with others; but we hold that while keeping clear of mere vagaries Foreign Affairs can do more to guide American public opinion by a broad hospitality to divergent ideas than it can by identifying itself with one school. It does not accept responsibility for the views expressed in any article, signed or unsigned, which appears in its pages. What it does accept is the responsibility for giving them a chance to appear there.” 

Website: http://www.foreignaffairs.com/
Subscribe: Student - 6 issues (1 year) for $19.95 (Canada $12; International $35) 
Standard - 12 issues (2 years) for $60; 6 issues (1 year) for $32

The Cato Institute
“The Cato Institute was founded in 1977 by Edward H. Crane. It is a non-profit public policy research foundation headquartered in Washington, D.C. The Institute is named for Cato's Letters, a series of libertarian pamphlets that helped lay the philosophical foundation for the American Revolution.  The mission of the Cato Institute is to increase the understanding of public policies based on the principles of limited government, free markets, individual liberty, and peace. The Institute will use the most effective means to originate, advocate, promote, and disseminate applicable policy proposals that create free, open, and civil societies in the United States and throughout the world.”

Website: http://www.cato.org/
Subscription: http://www.cato.org/pubs/
                     (Some publications are free, others have a fee.)
Cost: example price of The Cato Journal at 1 year for $22

Brookings Institute
“The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, DC. Our mission is to conduct high-quality, independent research and, based on that research, to provide innovative, practical recommendations that advance three broad goals:
Strengthen American democracy
Foster the economic and social welfare, security and opportunity of all Americans
Secure a more open, safe, prosperous and cooperative international system.
Brookings is proud to be consistently ranked as the most influential, most quoted and most trusted think tank…Based on think tank citations made by members of Congress from across the political spectrum, with 100 indicating citations by Democratic members and 0 indicating citations by Republican members, Brookings is quoted equally by members of both parties.”

Website: http://www.brookings.edu/

Time Magazine
Time Magazine does not provide a mission statement for itself (at least none that could be found).  However, Time Magazine offers global and National news on topics such as business, politics, technology, health, travel, the arts, popular people (entertainers, actors, musicians, entrepreneurs, etc.), collections of photography, video interviews/reports, stories of special interest, and more. 

Website: http://www.time.com/time/
Subscription: https://subs.timeinc.net/TD/tdhardoffer_5620.jhtml?experience_id=172245&source_id=1&_requestid=190990
Cost: 56 issues for $20

BBC News
Centered in the UK, but with correspondents all over the globe, the BBC is one of the leading news organizations of the world.  Covering events in the UK, the Americas, Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, and South Asia (main websites anyway) there is no shortage of information.  “The BBC is the largest broadcasting organisation in the world. Its mission is to enrich people's lives with programmes that inform, educate and entertain. It is a public service broadcaster, established by a Royal Charter and funded by the licence fee that is paid by UK households.  The BBC uses the income from the licence fee to provide services including 8 national TV channels plus regional programming, 10 national radio stations, 40 local radio stations and an extensive website.”  The BBC strives to provide the best news coverage possible. 
 
Website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/

Also, it is also recommended to have a subscription to a good local/National newspaper (such as the Tribune, Sun Times, Washington Post.)  People Magazine, or most any other tabloid, is good to keep on hand as well for celebrity topics too.

DATABASES FOR FREE RESOURCES

Free Extemp Links From CDE: http://www.cdedebate.com/backup/extemplink.html

Free Extemp Links From Extempprep.org: http://www.extempprep.org/Extemp_links.html