Secret Courts: Federal courts keep some cases completely off the docket, depriving the public of basic information about the justice system.     Publisher Lucy A. Dalglish Editor Gregg P. Leslie Managing Editor Kirsten B. Mitchell Contributors Amanda Buck, Susan Burgess, Casey Murray, Krista Vaught, Corinna Zarek Administration Lois Lloyd, Victor Gaberman, Maria Gowen RCFP Steering Committee Dan Abrams, MSNBC Scott Applewhite, The Associated Press Charles R. Babcock, The Washington Post Chip Bok, Akron Beacon Journal Earl Caldwell, Pacifica Radio Rebecca Carr, Cox Newspapers Walter Cronkite, CBS News Richard S. Dunham, Business Week Ashlea Ebeling, Forbes Magazine Stephen Geimann, Bloomberg News Fred Graham, Court TV Stephen Henderson, Knight-Ridder John C. Henry, The Associated Press Nat Hentoff, The Village Voice Edward H. Kohn, St. Louis Post-Dispatch Stephen Labaton, The New York Times Tony Mauro, American Laywer Media Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times Wilson F. Minor, Factual Reporting Service Sandra Peddie, Newsday Dan Rather, CBS News Cristine Russell, Freelance Tim Russert, NBC News Gerald F. Seib, The Wall Street Journal Carole Simpson, ABC News Saundra Torry, USA Today Vickie Walton-James, Tribune Publishing Judy Woodruff, CNN Affiliations appear for purposes of identification. The Reporters Committee would like to thank The Associated Press for permission to use photos from its files. © 2005 by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Published four times a year. Price: $7.50 per issue. Address correspondence to: The News Media and The Law 1101 Wilson Blvd., Suite 1100 Arlington, VA 22209 Telephone: (703) 807-2100 Internet: www.rcfp.org E-mail: rcfp@rcfp.org ISSN: 0149-0737

The News Media & The Law   Winter 2006    •    Vol. 30, No. 1     In this issue:  Editorial   EDITORIAL In search of the secret docket  Cover Story   COVER STORY Disappearing dockets When public dockets have holes, the public's right to open judicial proceedings is jeopardized.   SIDEBAR A summary of the docket listings in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.   SIDEBAR Finding hidden dockets   SIDEBAR A rare glimpse      APPRECIATION Journalist David Rosenbaum dies 'Conscience' of Reporters Committee served on steering committee for 28 years  Confidentiality/Privilege   FEATURE Under oath Journalists are under increasing pressure to testify in court, threatening their independence and leading many to consider a federal shield law.   GUEST COMMENTARY Thirty-six years later, the song remains the same   GUEST COMMENTARY Shield surge Four states are considering shield laws to protect journalists from testifying and turning over unpublished material.      Thank you . . . . . . to everyone who continues to support The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press  Libel   FEATURE Leveraging libel Unhappy with a $2.1 million libel verdict, a judge tries to leverage a little more  Freedom of Information   FEATURE Reforming FOIA The White House appears to be taking steps to improve the Freedom of Information Act, but supporters pressing for reform say it's not enough.   SIDEBAR Exemptions rule A study by the Coalition of Journalists for Open Government finds federal agencies taking advantage of exemptions to the Freedom of Information Act.   FEATURE Vitally important Records of births, deaths and marriages may be slipping away from public access in states interpreting federal law to require closure.   FEATURE A shot in Congress' arm Open government advocates are working to lift a veil of secrecy over a proposed federal agency to oversee development of bioterrorism vaccines.   FEATURE Storm of secrecy Florida newspapers pursue access to records of disaster-aid payouts  From the Hotline   HOTLINE From the Hotline  Newsgathering   FEATURE The First Amendment behind bars The U.S. Supreme Court will tackle the issue of prisoners' First Amendment rights, and the news media's ability to gather news about prisons and prisoners may be affected.  Broadcasting   FEATURE Shuttered justice Momentum is gaining on allowing cameras into federal courtrooms.      FEATURE Alito's record on free press issues A summary of media-related decisions by the newest member of the Supreme Court      THE LAST WORD Open & Shut A recent collection of funny, fascinating, nonsensical or just notable newsworthy quotations