Journalism

Washington Post staff writer Howard Kurtz writes, "As the administration gears up for what President Bush has described as a new kind of war, many journalists are growing concerned that they will have less information and less access to U.S. troops than ever before. Even the use of deliberate disinformation cannot be ruled out." He continues by quoting President Bush. "Let me condition the press this way: Any sources and methods of intelligence will remain guarded in secret," Bush said.

Coverage of the September 11th terrorist attack and the pending military response contains clamors for blind and immediate revenge.

Vanessa Leggett, a college English teacher and freelance writer, is languishing in jail after she refused to turn her notes over to the FBI, which is investigating a murder case she is writing about. The FBI rejected her claims of being a journalist because she hasn't published yet. She insists that she is "sacrificing personal liberty" to maintain her "journalistic freedom." But should the FBI be deciding who is or isn't a journalist?

With fewer journalism jobs available, many reporters and editors are looking at PR jobs to pay the bills. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a 31-35% increase in PR jobs, versus a 0-9% increase in journalism, which also pays less than PR. For journalists worried that flacking means selling out, PR Week advises that "many believe it's an inevitable career progression." PR Week quotes Lou Colasuonno, a former editor at the New York Post and New York Daily News before turning PR practitioner, who says, "I had accomplished all I could in [the journalism] field.