Safe and Secure? In the wake of the Minneapolis bridge collapse, some states have tightened control of bridge inspection records that could foretell the next disaster.     Publisher Lucy A. Dalglish Editor Gregg P. Leslie Managing Editor Jennifer Koons Senior Editor Loren A. Cochran Contributors Scott Albright, Matthew Pollack and Corinna Zarek Administration Lois Lloyd, Victor Gaberman, Maria Gowen   RCFP Steering Committee Dan Abrams, MSNBC Scott Applewhite, The Associated Press Chip Bok, Akron Beacon Journal Earl Caldwell, Pacifica Radio Rebecca Carr, Cox Newspapers Walter Cronkite, CBS News Richard S. Dunham, Houston Chronicle Ashlea Ebeling, Forbes Magazine Steve Geimann, Bloomberg News Fred Graham, Court TV Stephen Henderson, Detroit Free Press 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, Legal Times Doyle McManus, Los Angeles Times Wilson F. Minor, Factual Reporting Service Sandra Peddie, Newsday Dana Priest, The Washington Post Dan Rather, HDNet Cristine Russell, Freelance Tim Russert, NBC News Bob Schieffer, CBS News Gerald F. Seib, The Wall Street Journal Saundra Torry, USA Today Vickie Walton-James, Tribune Publishing Judy Woodruff, PBS/The News Hour 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   Fall 2007    •    Vol. 31, No. 4     In this issue:  Cover Story   FEATURE Safe and Secure? In the wake of the Minneapolis bridge collapse, some states have tightened control of inspection records that could foretell the next disaster.   SIDEBAR Accessing bridge inspection information   SIDEBAR From opened to closed   GUEST COMMENTARY After the bridge fell... One local journalist recounts the race for records in Minnesota.  Confidentiality/Privilege   FEATURE Congress closes in on a shield law The House and Senate take significant steps toward passing legislation.   SIDEBAR Q&A on the Free Flow of Information Act   SIDEBAR The Tale of the Tape   FEATURE Wavering on waivers Reporters face difficult decisions when assessing the validity of waivers from confidential sources.  Libel   FEATURE Judges keep libel plaintiffs in check Newspaper defendants are awarded sanctions in two separate cases of plaintiff malfeasance.   FEATURE A $3 million apology A small Illinois newspaper settles libel suit, agreeing to pay the state chief justice and drop its appeal.   SIDEBAR Thomas’ turbulent trial      FEATURE Mukasey An evaluation of the attorney general nominee’s record on press freedom and the public’s right to know.  Prior Restraints   FEATURE Trying blind Secret juries continue hearing major cases.   FEATURE Making the Call When courtroom hearings take a backseat to video or telephone conferencing, the question is whether the reporter can get in.  Newsgathering   FEATURE The right to gather news A federal judge in Puerto Rico gives short shrift to newsgathering as a protected right.  From the Hotline   HOTLINE From the Hotline The Reporters Committee operates a toll-free hotline for journalists with questions about free press and freedom of information issues. In this column, our attorneys discuss the latest hot-topic questions.  Freedom of Information   FEATURE FOIA reform 2007 Open government acts in limbo   FEATURE Voluntary dismissal ABA withdraws resolution seeking to spur federal, state and local governments into cutting off access to all criminal records   COMMENTARY Mine, yours and ours The Federal Mine Safety Act proves that silence really is golden      BACKPAGE Open & Shut A recent collection of funny, fascinating, nonsensical or just notable newsworthy quotations