Covering the News Since Sept. 11

Tom Marquardt, executive editor of The Capital, said there have been greater restrictions on information at the Naval Academy.

"Questions that would be routinely answered are being denied for security reasons," said Marquardt. "BWI isn’t talking about security measures either and is denying us access to the facility."

There have been no unexpected restrictions, just understandable frustrations, said to Angela Bornemann, editor of the Northeast Booster, in Baltimore County. The paper was informed by a National Guard spokeswoman that MPs from the local guard unit were going to patrol the Pentagon crash site.

"That was a nice heads up," she said. "But then we were told our photographer would not be allowed to shoot at the site and that the names of those going couldn’t be released."

The spokeswoman did offer some photos she had taken, but still would not provide names, said Bornemann.

Baxter Smith, editor of the Community Times, in Carroll County, said there are Web sites being closed to journalists and the public. The list of sites can be found on the Web at www.ombwatch.org/info/2001/access.html.

Included on the list is the closure of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission Web site, Risk Management Plans for dealing with chemical accidents have been removed from the EPA Web site, and Florida is withholding public access to information on crop dusters.

For Marc Warren, arts and entertainment editor of The Afro-American, the challenges have been a little different. Warren said it has been frustrating filling the arts and entertainment sections with numerous cancellations.

"Since the Sept. 11th events, I have found it difficult. . . or to put it more bluntly, I have been very reluctant to travel to New York to cover the Broadway season for my publication," said Warren.