Secret in Seattle: These reporters have found hundreds of improperly sealed court files -- and prompted major changes in the way courts handle secrecy.     Publisher Lucy A. Dalglish Editor Gregg P. Leslie Managing Editor Rani Gupta Associate Editor Loren A. Cochran Contributors Mellisa Attias, Andrea Grossman, Lauren Melcher, Elizabeth Soja, Catherine Spratt, Nathan Winegar Administration Lois Lloyd, Victor Gaberman, Maria Gowen RCFP Steering Committee Dan Abrams, MSNBC Scott Applewhite, The Associated Press Charles R. Babcock, Bloomberg News 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 Neil Lewis, 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, PBS Affiliations appear for purposes of identification. The Reporters Committee would like to thank The Associated Press for permission to use photos from its files. © 2007 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   Spring 2007    •    Vol. 31, No. 2     In this issue:  Editorial   EDITORIAL Maybe we’ll pull off a shield law this time  Cover Story   FEATURE Secret in Seattle Newspapers uncovering sealed cases in Washington and Nevada faced reluctant judges, bureaucratic hurdles and lawsuit threats.   SIDEBAR Sealed v. super-sealed   SIDEBAR Changing the courts   SIDEBAR Tips for covering sealed cases   FEATURE A new wrinkle Two reporters have found not only secret dockets but altered ones.   GUEST COMMENTARY Gray text and great stories Some questioned whether newspaper readers would care about sealed cases in Las Vegas. They did -- and so did the courts.  Freedom of Information   FEATURE The fog of war? When the military misreports how soldiers die, journalists must rely on public records and shoe-leather reporting for the truth.   SIDEBAR How they really died   SIDEBAR Resources for journalists   FEATURE Congressional privilege When it comes to accessing information from the executive branch, lawmakers have a powerful tool that reporters do not.   SIDEBAR What does the Presidential Records Act have to do with this?   FEATURE The flow of information A post-Sept. 11 crackdown on data about dams and dikes has frustrated journalists trying to warn of potential disasters.   FEATURE 1974. 1976. 1986. 1996. 2007? A proposed overhaul of the Freedom of Information Act could mark the first major changes to the law in more than a decade.   SIDEBAR Changing FOIA   COMMENTARY For the records  Libel   FEATURE A confidentiality catch-22? Think your unnamed sources are protected by a state shield law? If you are sued for libel, think again.   SIDEBAR Shield statutes and libel lawsuits Which state shield laws explicitly lay out a different standard for defamation cases?  Confidentiality/Privilege   FEATURE Criminal sources How much protection do the courts provide when journalists refuse to identify sources who may be breaking the law?   SIDEBAR Notable events in the BALCO investigation   FEATURE A prisoner no longer After 226 days, Josh Wolf is released from a California prison.   FEATURE Reporter's shield redux A reporter's privilege bill stalled by opposition last year flies through the Washington Legislature this time around.   SIDEBAR Shield laws across the country  Newsgathering   FEATURE Photo face-off Newspapers fight high school sports associations in Wisconsin and Louisiana over who has the right to sell pictures online.   SIDEBAR In other states   FEATURE The limits of disclosure Reporters have had mixed results using the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.  Secret Courts   COMMENTARY A new wave of prior restraints?  From the Hotline   HOTLINE From the Hotline   HOTLINE Open & Shut A recent collection of funny, fascinating, nonsensical or just notable newsworthy quotations