News coverage of law can be a daunting task for any journalist, especially in a time when public interest in media coverage of the courts has greatly intensified. The second edition of Covering the Courts provides the most up-to-date resources for journalists and students. Detailed descriptions of each step of the judicial process along with tips from top journalists allow for a comprehensive analysis of courtroom activities. This handbook also addresses the complex issues surrounding the free press/fair trial controversy, pre-trial publicity, and the various types of news coverage allowed...

In 2012-2013, one of the largest U.S. newspaper chains, Advance Publications, determined its main product was no longer newspapers but news, and switched from daily print publication of The Times-Picayune of New Orleans to three days a week, while upgrading its presence online ("Digital First"). More than two hundred employees, including half the newsroom, were laid off in one of the poorest U.S. cities with among the lowest literacy rates and percentages of households with Internet access. The decision raised a furor in New Orleans. Beginning with an historical overview of The...