Part 1. Assignment-America: riding the crest of the news. Walter Mears of AP calls a tight presidential election
The San Diego Tribune covers the nation's worst air tragedy
A tornado strikes Xenia, Ohio and the Xenia gazette tells the story
Tom Fitzpatrick joins 200 rioters during Chicago's four days of rage
Two UPI reporters probe the life and death of Diana Oughton
Part 2. The endless battle for human rights. Two men are freed from death row because Gene Miller cared about them
A reporter turns ambulance driver, exposes Chicago's "misery merchants"
A black and white team sees famine stalking across Asia and Africa
A black woman reporter appeals for better race relations
A.M. Rosenthal visits Auschwitz and writes a memorable story
Part 3. Democracy's watchdogs: investigative reporters. A New York reporter uncovers a $1 million Medicaid fraud
The Reno newspapers attack a brothel keeper in Nevada
The Anchorage news examines a union's rising power in Alaska
Two Philadelphia reporters assail mistreatment of the mentally ill
Part 4. A crusade to save our national heritage. The Louisville Courier-Journal combats Kentucky strip mining
The Milwaukee journal fights Wisconsin's water pollution
The Christian Science Monitor examines the national parks
A Los Angeles Times reporter warns that some of our dams are in danger
Part 5. Foreign reporting: the emphasis shifts. A Wall Street journal man witnesses India's conquest of Pakistan
Jack Anderson discloses secret papers revealing U.S. "tilt" toward Pakistan
Richard Ben Cramer takes a walk through a mideast no man's land
Max Frankel covers Nixon's opening to China for 8 work-filled days
Part 6. Heroism and disclosure: the press in Vietnam. The New York Times makes history by publishing the Pentagon Papers
Peter Arnett flies to battle and sees a U.S. force destroyed
John S. Knight attacks Vietnam War and warns of an American defeat
Seymour Hersh uncovers the tragedy of the army's massacre at My Lai
The Akron Beacon journal's staff covers Kent State killings
Sydney Schanberg sees genocide as the Communists seize Cambodia
Part 7. Presidency and press: a clash of power. Washington Post exposes Watergate and helps topple a president
Mary McGrory reflects on Watergate, history and the English language
Meg Greenfield appraises Ford: "He did a hell of a job"
William Safire helps toss lance from Carter's White House
Merriman Smith sees assassination of President Kennedy in Dallas
Part 8. Civil rights battle strains the nation. Ralph McGill leads the fight for civil rights in the south
Haynes Johnson retraces the march from Selma to Montgomery, Ala.
The Los Angeles Times reports the five-day riots in Wats
Euguene Patterson protests two outrages in the south
The free press covers Detroit's riot and asks, "Why did 43 people die?"
The globe faces blows and bullets in covering Boston's school crisis
Part 9. Columnists and critics gain new influence. Richard L. Strout of the Monitor reportrs on 11 presidents
Red Smith watches Muhammad Ali beat down a gallant Joe Frazier
David Broder tolls a requiem for Humphrey's presidential dream
Walter Kerr sees zero mostel as a great natural comic force
Marquis Childs ponders man's fate in a world marred by pollution
Russell Baker finds Washington is solemn but New York is serious
Part 10. The press examines our legal system. The Philadelphia inquirer reveals police brutality on a massive scale
Newsday follows the heroin trail from Turkey and France to the U.S.
The Wall Street Journal uncovers a $150 million salad oil fraud
Howard James of the monitor sees a "crisis in the courts"
St. Petersburg Times exposes a strange cult in Florida
The Los Angeles Times protests judicial sanctions against the press.
