Reinan wistfully recalls the grand buildings that housed six of the seven newspapers where he spent his journalism career. "Everyone knew where the newspaper was; you had only to refer to “the Times” or “the Gazette” — no address necessary. In the early days of my career, most newspapers had no security desk. Anyone who wanted to talk to a reporter about a story could walk right in the door and find their way to the newsroom. The newspapers had a vital physical presence that placed them at the heart of the city’s life.”  Photo: The Oakland Tribune abandoned its iconic tower in 2007.

A freelance New York Times photographer was arrested Saturday night when police demanded he stop taking photos of the arrest of a teenage girl. Robert Stolarik was on assignment with two reporters conducting interviews in the Bronx when the incident occurred. He said he he identified himself to an officer as a journalist for The Times and continued taking pictures. A second officer appeared, grabbed his camera and “slammed” it into his face, he said.. Stolarik said he asked for the officers’ badge numbers, and the officers then took his cameras and dragged him to the ground; he said that he was kicked in the back and that he received scrapes and bruises to his arms, legs and face.

While stipulating that there are some things a democracy needs to keep secret, the Washington Post ombudsman explains why a bill to deter leaks of classified information is a bad piece of legislation for journalism and the public. The bill "would limit who in (federal) agencies can talk to the media even further than they already are, require frequent reports to Congress about contacts with the media and greatly restrict, if not end, the background briefings that intelligence agencies conduct for journalists going on foreign trips." Pexton calls it an "administrative nightmare" that would crimp the flow of information but not stop leaks themselves.

In January, AP Korea bureau chief Jean H. Lee and photographer David Guttenfelder opened the AP's Pyongyang bureau, the only international, independent news bureau in the North Korean capitol. No cellphones, poor internet access and no freedom to even leave their hotel by themselves are just some of the challenges. "I operate under the assumption that everything I say, everything I write, everything I do is being recorded," Lee says.