![Page 1: What Journalists Want; How The Courts Can Help October 2, 2012 – New Orleans American Judges Association Annual Conference Ben Holden, Director Reynolds](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062719/56649eea5503460f94bfbeee/html5/thumbnails/1.jpg)
What Journalists Want; How The Courts Can Help
October 2, 2012 – New Orleans
American Judges Association Annual Conference
Ben Holden, DirectorReynolds National Center for Courts and Media
Donald W. Reynolds School of JournalismUniversity of Nevada, Reno MS/310
(775) 327-8271 - office(706) 332-8426 - cell
![Page 2: What Journalists Want; How The Courts Can Help October 2, 2012 – New Orleans American Judges Association Annual Conference Ben Holden, Director Reynolds](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062719/56649eea5503460f94bfbeee/html5/thumbnails/2.jpg)
I. WHO THEY ARE
• Young• *Scared, • *Ill-trained• *40% of journalism jobs lost in past 10 years
(*U.S. Labor Department, • Sept. 2012
![Page 3: What Journalists Want; How The Courts Can Help October 2, 2012 – New Orleans American Judges Association Annual Conference Ben Holden, Director Reynolds](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062719/56649eea5503460f94bfbeee/html5/thumbnails/3.jpg)
II. WHAT THEY WANT AND NEED
• “I believe The First Amendment Law of the future will be made by these impecunious individuals"
• -- Floyd Abrams, counsel to New York Times, partner, Cahill, Gordon & Reindel LLP, & RNCCM board member
• BOTTOM LINE: Don't Make Them Sue You. The Bad News For Democracy is They May Not Be Able/Willing To Because of Corporate Pressures...Even If They Are Right on The Law
![Page 4: What Journalists Want; How The Courts Can Help October 2, 2012 – New Orleans American Judges Association Annual Conference Ben Holden, Director Reynolds](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062719/56649eea5503460f94bfbeee/html5/thumbnails/4.jpg)
II. WHAT THEY WANT AND NEED (CONT)
• Good, clean rulings on:• 1. Access to courtrooms • 2. Access to court records• 3. Open meetings disputes involving other
branches of government• 4. Judicial rulings including appropriate in
camera transcripts, motions in limine and jury instructions
![Page 5: What Journalists Want; How The Courts Can Help October 2, 2012 – New Orleans American Judges Association Annual Conference Ben Holden, Director Reynolds](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062719/56649eea5503460f94bfbeee/html5/thumbnails/5.jpg)
II. WHAT THEY WANT AND NEED (CONT)
• 5. Never ever ever grant a prior restraint -- unless the paper is trying to disclose troop movements, spy names, bombing-striking targets or bombmaking recipes.
• 6. Unmasking-you may be able to order it. Vol.1 ISSUE2 RCMLJ (judges.org)
![Page 6: What Journalists Want; How The Courts Can Help October 2, 2012 – New Orleans American Judges Association Annual Conference Ben Holden, Director Reynolds](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062719/56649eea5503460f94bfbeee/html5/thumbnails/6.jpg)
II. WHAT THEY WANT AND NEED (CONT)
• 7. Quickly and decisively dispose of Sheppard v. Maxwell motions on venue and new trials
• AKA: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Judges
![Page 7: What Journalists Want; How The Courts Can Help October 2, 2012 – New Orleans American Judges Association Annual Conference Ben Holden, Director Reynolds](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062719/56649eea5503460f94bfbeee/html5/thumbnails/7.jpg)
III. HOW CAN YOU HELP
• 1. M-V-P
• a. Meetings to educate
• b. (shared) Vocabulary
• c. Press Releases on Good News/ Syllabus opinions
![Page 8: What Journalists Want; How The Courts Can Help October 2, 2012 – New Orleans American Judges Association Annual Conference Ben Holden, Director Reynolds](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062719/56649eea5503460f94bfbeee/html5/thumbnails/8.jpg)
IV. WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?• What distinguishes a truly free society from
all others is an independent judiciary and a free press.
• -- Edward R. Murrow, journalist and crusader against the Red Scare and other threats to Democracy
• Enlightened Self-Interest
![Page 9: What Journalists Want; How The Courts Can Help October 2, 2012 – New Orleans American Judges Association Annual Conference Ben Holden, Director Reynolds](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062719/56649eea5503460f94bfbeee/html5/thumbnails/9.jpg)
IV. WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU (CONT)
• Do You Really Want The Replacement Refs Explaining to the Public:
• * Controversial Judicial Orders
• * Retention Elections
• * Judicial Compensation
![Page 10: What Journalists Want; How The Courts Can Help October 2, 2012 – New Orleans American Judges Association Annual Conference Ben Holden, Director Reynolds](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062719/56649eea5503460f94bfbeee/html5/thumbnails/10.jpg)
Managing The Press
1. Befriend (but don’t “Friend”)2. Develop rules, shared vocabulary3. Know how media are structured
![Page 11: What Journalists Want; How The Courts Can Help October 2, 2012 – New Orleans American Judges Association Annual Conference Ben Holden, Director Reynolds](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062719/56649eea5503460f94bfbeee/html5/thumbnails/11.jpg)
Judge Herbert B. Dixon, Jr.Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Washington, D.C.
The Florida/Oklahoma Rule
![Page 12: What Journalists Want; How The Courts Can Help October 2, 2012 – New Orleans American Judges Association Annual Conference Ben Holden, Director Reynolds](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062719/56649eea5503460f94bfbeee/html5/thumbnails/12.jpg)
A Judge’s Toolbox1. On the record2. Not for attribution3. Background4. Deep background
![Page 13: What Journalists Want; How The Courts Can Help October 2, 2012 – New Orleans American Judges Association Annual Conference Ben Holden, Director Reynolds](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062719/56649eea5503460f94bfbeee/html5/thumbnails/13.jpg)
A Standard Newspaper Hierarchy
(1) EE(2) ME (above 200K circ.)(3) City Editor(4A) Legal Affairs Reporter(4B) General Assignment Reporter
![Page 14: What Journalists Want; How The Courts Can Help October 2, 2012 – New Orleans American Judges Association Annual Conference Ben Holden, Director Reynolds](https://reader036.vdocuments.mx/reader036/viewer/2022062719/56649eea5503460f94bfbeee/html5/thumbnails/14.jpg)
Newspaper Woes• Decline in newspaper FTEs• How newspaper people think• Tips on working with a depleted press• Threshold Issues:–Do you want your project covered? –Does anyone care?– Should you/PIO issue a press release? – Should you/PIO grant or seek interviews?