Examines pressures facing the African American press by focusing on its coverage of the 1991 nomination of Clarence Thomas to the United States Supreme Court. Discusses the dilemma these newspapers faced in choosing between supporting African Americans and supporting civil rights, with their mixed coverage of the story reflecting this dilemma. (SR)

Indicates mixed support for the hypothesis that editorial sections publish a positive ratio of favorable to unfavorable commentary about endorsed candidates and a negative ratio of favorable to unfavorable commentary about unendorsed candidates. Suggests that editorial sections in some newspapers may be more internally balanced in their political…

Indicates that, across three circulation categories, there are differences in the research process, availability and use of resources, and how writers rate usefulness of sources. Finds that most editorial writers make use of various sources for ideas and background material. Shows that some writers disagree about how much research is needed to…

Indicates that 73 percent of the writers agreed or strongly agreed that lack of time to do adequate research was their biggest problem. Shows that 68 percent said that they seldom or never used the full text, database retrieval systems, citing as reasons institutional and personal constraints and inadequate training. (JD)

Surveys op-ed page editors, finding that fewer than half of the responding papers have op-ed pages; that professional journalists, public figures, and propagandists dominate the pages; and that editors firmly control the agenda. (SR)

Discusses trends and concerns in news reporting and news writing, including the accuracy of investigative reporting, the increased use of news "leaks" and unidentified sources, and the need to orient newspaper content toward real people with real interests instead of writing for an "average" reader. (RL)