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The article focuses on the challenge facing journalists with respect to the use of the term person of interest in federal cases. Journalists should know how to handle the vague term. Reporters use the term without pressing police to define it. Because of its lack of real definition, the interpretation of the term is left to the audience. Kristin Gazlay, deputy managing editor for national news at the Associated Press, said that the media need to look at why a person is a person of interest and to recognize that police use the term a technique to pressure people to talk.

The article explores the emergence and practice of citizen journalism. The profession of journalism is not only threatened by new technology advances but by its audiences as well. Everywhere citizens are getting connected via the Internet to set the agenda for news, to inform one another about local or global issues, and to form news services. Citizen media is becoming a trend that mainstream news media clearly acknowledge. However, citizen media should not be seen as the end of journalism or news media agencies but as a shift in where value is being formed.

Offers a look at preparations involved in journalistic political writing in the U.S. with a private escort service catering to executives as a subject. Examples of writing assignments for magazines; Objections to playing the role of a government executives in a police entrapment operation.

The article describes the growth in start-up community news media initiatives created by citizens as counterparts to their local journalism. Most citizen media people are reacting to the journalism they see in their local communities. Furthermore, there are a number of citizen media initiatives in 2005 that are producing hyperlocal and special-interest news and information and eyewitness accounts from primary media markets to other rural areas. It is apparent that signs indicating that citizen participation in the media can potentially lead to civic participation are emerging.

Presents suggestions for the media to reassert their power and pride as journalists. Emphasis of truthfulness in a story; Usefulness of investigative reporting; Proportionality in covering controversies; Solidarity on news reporting.

The article presents best practice guidelines intended to help engineers in dealing with reporters and the mass media. Media handling is a soft skill that could enhance or jeopardize an engineering career. Steps include making sure of possessing the authority to talk with the media, identification of frequently-asked questions and preparation of answers for each, developing contact information for technology periodicals, and taking guidance on how to groom oneself for appearing in front of television cameras.

The article focuses on the confidence and support of the public to journalists and the news media and the efforts of journalists to remain aggressive in their reporting. In 2005, only 28% of survey respondents indicated their confidence in television news and in newspapers. Despite this low esteem, courageous news are being produced. Some of these courageous new include Sun Herald's coverage of Hurricane Katrina and the risk taken by journalist Nicholas Kristol of New York Times in going to Sudan to give attention to the massacres of people in Darfur. Another press triumph is the Watergate expose.

This article presents several arguments against shield laws in the U.S. mass media. The arguments against shield laws have been good ones. They have been a combination of constitutional positions based on this country's historic commitment to freedom of expression as well as a generally pragmatic reluctance to deal with legislative bodies on something as sensitive as reporter privilege. The arguments against shield laws have fallen into three basic areas. First, it has been common belief among many that the first amendment alone provides all the protection necessary for freedom of the press, including a reporter privilege. The second argument against shield laws has generally focused on the difficulties in establishing a definition of a journalist. Moreover, the third major argument against a shield law has always been the danger of going to any governmental body to establish a statutory privilege. Shield laws are not necessarily the complete answer to challenges on reporter privilege. But this much is certain: The loss of an aggressive and independent press puts all individual liberties at risk.

Comments on the mass media and humanism. Contention that news, which can influence peoples' thinking, has an unjustifiably negative bias; Focus of daily news briefings of press and television; Negativism of the news; Danger of using the news as a basis for generalizations about human behavior; Role of the philosophy of humanism.

Describes the lives of reporters. Public misconception with regards to reporters; Skills that should be developed by a reporter; Challenges associated with being a reporter; Habits of reporters; Professional gains of reporters.

The article emphasizes the social significance of the mass media. The media coverage of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans, Louisiana depicts the commitment of journalists to live by their duties. Journalists were very brave to search for information about the hurricane and report it to the public. The media was able to provide the public an up-to-date news about the disaster. This hurricane coverage is of great significance not only to journalists but to the public as well. The job of journalists is very important and it is one of the jobs that serves the public during any disasters.

Argues that, increasingly, British newspapers have decided that there is not a market for information and analysis, so they are offering instant emotional responses instead. Campaign by the "Daily Mail" to persuade the British government to stop deporting failed asylum-seekers to Zimbabwe; How newspapers are moving away from providing information, analysis, argument and disclosure; The transient and irrational nature of emotion; Emotional media coverage of the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park; Issue of making emotional statements; Why the author feels uncomfortable with collective displays of emotion and with the coverage of them; Suggestion that the media should ask challenging questions.

Observes the effort by the BBC to bar newspeople from writing for newspapers. Questions over those who do light columns; Possibility that BBC reporters will be allowed to write provided they stay away from their specialist fields; Exemption of freelancers; Other exemptions to the rule; Questioning of the necessity of this rule; Intention by the governors to compensate the gagged writers for lost earnings; Reasons why the rule is not necessary.

Comments on the credibility of the media in the U.S., as of September 2003. Problems encountered by newspapers and magazines with their reporters and editors in spring 2003; Expectations from reporters; Goals which were not achieved by journalists; Link between press and democracy.

This article offers tips for learning an assigned beat. A four-step plan can help a journalist create a strategy that gives direction and brings greater depth to his/her coverage. It goes like this: Pull the paper; poll the people; plan the approach; and process and proceed with the plan. Get back issues of the publication for the previous year. Gather statistics that bring context to the story and the picture. Explore what is appearing in other media, including print, broadcast and online--locally, regionally and even nationally. Provide a proposed coverage plan, an overview and story list to the editors.

The article reports on the agreement between Lexington, Kentucky police and the city's largest news media organizations to discusses clearer guidelines so that reporters can safely cover high-risk events, such as standoff or hostage situation, without impeding the work by police. Lexington Police Chief Anthany Beatty said that, at his department's request, police officials met with news executives from the Herald-Leader, three Lexington television stations and radio stations WVLK-590 and WLAP-630. Beatty was joined on the panel by Bruce Carter, news director, WLEX-TV (Channel 18); Jim Ogle, news director, WKYT-TV (Channel 27); and Tom Eblen, the Herald-Leader's managing editor. The four panelists discussed issues that were raised during police actions and news coverage of the chaotic scene February 13 when Pat Hutchinson is alleged to have fired shots that killed his wife, Fontaine Hutchinson, and Lt. Brenda Cowan of the Lexington fire department. Another firefighter suffered a serious head wound in the incident but survived. Beatty said he has two main concerns from the episode. One was film taken and initially aired by WLEX-TV that showed Cowan as she was fatally wounded. He said his worry was the emotional effect if family and colleagues saw the film. Beatty's other concern was the potential damage from live TV coverage and what he said was an inadvertent telephone call from a Herald-Leader reporter to the alleged gunman while he remained in his house.