Welcome to the “Bench and Media Guide to Interaction”. This guide is a joint production of the Community Relations Committee of the Judicial Conference of Indiana and the Hoosier State Press Association, and is intended as a quick reference for judges and journalists seeking information on issues involving courts and the media. The content of the guide will be added to and updated on a regular basis, making it a continuing work-in-progress.

The “Bench and Media Guide to Interaction” follows the formation of the “Fire Brigade” as a tool for judges and journalists to use to allow media coverage of the courts to focus on actual trials and proceedings, rather than misunderstandings and disagreements. The Community Relations Committee and the Hoosier State Press Association value comments and suggestions regarding the content of this guide. Judges and journalists can contact either the Indiana Judicial Center (317-232-1313) and ask for Jenny Bauer, jbauer@courts.state.in.us, or the Hoosier State Press Association (317-624-4427) and ask for the Association's General Counsel, Steve Key, skey@hspa.com, to submit comments and suggestions.