All eyes on China     Publisher Lucy A. Dalglish Editor Gregg P. Leslie Managing Editor Jennifer Koons Contributors Scott Albright, Amy Harder, Alanna Malone, Matthew Pollack and Alison Schmidt 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   Spring 2008    •    Vol. 32, No. 2     In this issue:  Editorial   PREFERRED POSITION Defining a journalist  Cover Story   COVER STORY All eyes on China Despite pledges from Beijing, foreign journalists continue to experience harassment in the months leading up to the Olympics.   SIDEBAR New regulations   SIDEBAR Pro-Chinese protests target foreign media   SIDEBAR A veteran’s advice for reporters heading to Beijing  Freedom of Information   FEATURE Secrecy and the next administration A closer look at where the 2008 White House hopefuls stand on transparency in government and confidential sources.   SIDEBAR Candidates back federal shield law   FEATURE Signed, sealed and locked away Confidential settlements aren’t an unusual way to conceal government mistakes — even with taxpayer money at issue.   FEATURE Where oh where has that e-mail gone? By some estimates, more than 1,000 days of e-mail are missing from various White House offices.   FEATURE On the electronic beat Some newspapers enjoy easy access to online police records; for others, getting the hard copies remains a struggle.   SIDEBAR A New York success story   COMMENTARY FOIA reforms don’t spell victory yet Uncertainty about the fate of new ombudsman position hampers effectiveness of recently enacted FOIA amendments.  Confidentiality/Privilege   FEATURE Forget and Forgive? Former USA Today reporter Toni Locy faces hefty fines for being unwilling to divulge her entire catalog of confidential informants.   FEATURE Three’s the charm Two more states enact shields to protect the free flow of information, while another awaits the governor’s signature.   SIDEBAR Comparing the new shields  Prior Restraints   FEATURE The cameras may be rolling... Two bills pending before Congress would allow video recording in federal courts.   SIDEBAR Cameras in courts through the years   FEATURE Wikileaks unplugged, free to flow Media lawyers hope the initial injunction to disable an entire Web site serves as an example of what not to do with online speech.   SIDEBAR Interfering with the Internet: blocking name servers   GUEST COMMENTARY Post-wikileaks: the law of prior restraint transformed  From the Hotline   LEGAL ADVICE 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.  Libel   FEATURE When defamation goes online Courts are increasingly applying the single publication rule to online publications to deter stale lawsuits.   SIDEBAR Noteworthy cases      FEATURE Open & Shut A recent collection of funny, fascinating, nonsensical or just notable newsworthy quotations