Volume 7, Number 3
Bulletin Spring 2002
Download full text (pdf)
Supreme Court Strikes Down Virtual Child Pornography Law
It is unconstitutional under the First Amendment to ban the production, possession or distribution of child pornography, the Supreme Court ruled on April 16, 2002.
University of Minnesota Press Publication Center of Controversy
The University of Minnesota Press has been in the eye of a media storm surrounding its publication of Harmful to Minors: The Perils of Protecting Children from Sex by New York journalist Judith Levine.
Colorado Bookstore Wins Battle to Protect Customers’ Privacy
In April 2002, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that The Tattered Cover Bookstore would not be required to hand over information regarding customer purchases to investigators.
Los Angeles Newspaper Offices Temporarily Shut Down in Effort to Find Invoice
On May 2, 2002, investigators from the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office shut down operations at a small newspaper for three hours while they searched files for an invoice for an advertisement that was placed three months earlier.
Journalism Ethicist Louis W. Hodges Will Retire in 2003
Louis W. Hodges will retire as Knight Chair in the Ethics of Journalism at Washington and Lee University at the end of the 2002-2003 academic year.
Italian Prime Minister’s Media Holdings Running Risk of Becoming a Monopoly
Ever since the election that resulted in media mogul Silvio Berlusconi becoming Prime Minister of Italy, questions have been raised about his ever-increasing control over the media.
Pending Bills May Hamper Freedom of the Press for Japanese Media
Japanese journalists are worried that two bills currently being considered by the Japanese Parliament, the Diet, could seriously hamper freedom of the press.
Harvard Business Review Faces Ethical Challenges
The reputation of the prestigious Harvard Business Review has been tainted by questions of credibility and ethics in the wake of a high profile incident that led to the resignation of the editor, Suzy Wetlaufer.
Minnesota Governor Signs New Privacy Bill into Law
Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura signed a bill on May 27, 2002, making Minnesota the first state in the nation to give Internet users control over whether or not their service provider can disclose or sell their personal information.
Silha Center Comments on Model Policy Governing Electronic Access to Court Records Developed by National Center for State Courts
The National Center for State Courts has developed a Model Policy on Public Access to Court Records.
Pilot Program Approved by Judicial Conference to Allow Public Access to Criminal Case Files
On May 7, 2002, the Judicial Conference of the United States, the principal policy-making body for the federal court system, announced the approval of a pilot program that will allow public online access to criminal case files.
Pulitzer Prize Winner Anthony Lewis to Deliver Silha Lecture
First Amendment scholar, two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, author and former New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis will deliver the seventeenth Annual Silha Lecture on Oct. 8, 2002.