By Shea Andersen Although it was a beautiful Saturday, journalists and media professionals crowded inside a U.S. Bank building conference room for the 2009 Fall Conference, organized by the Southwest Chapter of the Idaho Press Club. The theme of this year's conference was "Back to Basics." Instead of wringing their hands over the fate of the industry, reporters and editors learned about pertinent media law in the Internet age and heard from newsmakers about what it's like to be on their side of the microphone. Attorney Brad Frazer kicked off the day with his presentation about media law and the…

Glimmers of hope in tough times By Betsy Russell When I asked our lead presenter at the recent Fall Conference how things were going at his paper, The Oregonian, I was startled by the answer: They're cutting 70 positions in the newsroom. I shouldn't have been startled. This, of course, is what's going on in our industry right now. My own paper is cutting three more newsroom positions right now, and we're all getting another week's furlough on top of the earlier furlough week and the pay cuts. The Statesman laid off its photo editor and isn't replacing her -…

By Kevin Richert An Ada County magistrate judge has refused to release a search warrant in the Robert Manwill murder case -- saying the document would compromise the defendants' right to a fair trial in the high-profile case. The Idaho Statesman has pressed for the release of the warrant. The following editorial appeared in the Sept. 25 Statesman: The Robert Manwill disappearance became big news - and the Boise Police Department did nothing to discourage it. The police held frequent and excruciatingly incremental news briefings; several coincided with live local newscasts. The police asked the community to help find clues…

By Shea Andersen More than 100 people gathered in Boise's Municipal Park in early October to celebrate the life of Chuck Oxley, an Idaho newsman who died in a car accident on October 3. He was 46. Oxley, like many reporters, worked for several news organizations in Idaho, and made an impression on most of those with whom he worked. At the memorial, several reporters and editors spoke about his good humor, his idealism and his dedication to the craft. Oxley had made a rare transition back into news after a time spent in a partisan position, working as a…