The author describes the difficulties of a lawyer dealing with journalists who often lack much of the specialized knowledge of criminal proceedings that is necessary to report on them. The reporters are perhaps more oriented towards sensationalism than education, which is unfortunate when a story involves something as serious as informing the public about legal issues. The author believes that sensationalism gets in the way of good reporting. However, the editor comments that perhaps the problem is not that reporters cannot represent the complexities of legal proceedings, but that the purpose of the media is something other than to educate the public about the law. The topic of serial killers and the way such accounts are reported is presented as perhaps the most outstanding example of sensationalism. The point is made that sensationalist accounts reinforce ignorance about the world and do a disservice by misinforming readers about the world in which they live. Figure, notes