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In response, journalists and their lawyers have fought back by claiming “reporter’s privilege,” with varying degrees of success.

These issues have come to a head over the past decade as the Bush and Obama administrations have used unprecedented aggressiveness in going after reporters and their sources.

The newest How-To briefing from the Medill National Security Initiative’s Josh Meyer also provides journalists with information about what to steps to take to protect themselves from being subpoenaed, and what to do if they are subpoenaed, or come under investigation and possible prosecution.

Read the full briefing.

If you are committed and well-prepared, you can find news in this field and illuminate an aspect of U.S. national security that can seem like an abstraction, even an anachronism, but is still relevant to the lives of all Americans.

The key is knowing where to look, how to decipher the military lingo and why it matters what is taking place within the insular world of nuclear forces. You don’t need to be a military expert or a rocket scientist.

→ Continue reading our new National Security zone how-to guide on covering nuclear weapons. It was written by Bob Burns of the Associated Press, who has been doggedly breaking stories — and sparking investigations and reforms — about problems within Air Force-run operations that oversee our land-based nuclear arsenal.

Generally, reporting on firearms is pretty poor – not because of hidden agendas, but because most journalists are not familiar with firearms. That lack of knowledge can lead to reporting errors that are not caught by equally unknowing editors.

In our latest NSZ 101 how-to guide, gun hobbyist and journalist Kerry Luft delivers a basic primer on firearms, with some caveats about usage and warnings about some common mistakes.

The guide explains the difference between shotguns, rifles, revolvers and pistols as well as the myriad types of ammunition. It also includes as examples of stories in which journalists’ knowledge of firearms made for insightful, compelling reading.

→ Read the full primer.

Download a copy of the PDF.

Below is an example of the agency information in the Posts’s handy “Impacts of a government shutdown” interactive list.

Helpful links:

• Impact of a government shutdown on federal agencies (Post)
• OMB Furlough Guidance
• Government shutdown: What’s open, what’s closed (Post)
• Comprehensive list of Agency Contingency Plans, most downloadable PDFs (The White House)
• By the numbers: Who will be working during a shutdown (Post)
• Sortable by-agency what’s open what’s closed list from CNN.com.
• Government Shutdown | USA.gov
• Graphic: Who goes to work and who stays home (NY Times)
• Stars & Stripes coverage.
• Commissaries, which provide deeply discounted groceries to active and retired military members, will close starting Oct. 2. Find locations in your area, state and region.
• 66 Answers & Questions about the Government Shutdown. 
• Alternatives to government databases that might not be accessible or updated.

About 1,000 journalists around the world have been killed in the line of duty in the past two decades; the pie chart above shows a breakdown of the situations in which they perished, according to data from the Committee to Protect Journalists.

Journalists need to take responsibility for their own security. The changing economy of the news business makes it increasingly harder for journalists to rely on security advisors.

Instead, both international and local journalists need to assess their own risks and needs in advance of embarking on a dangerous story.

In our latest “NSZ 101” how-to guide for reporters, security expert Frank Smyth offers a comprehensive look at how to prepare to visit a hostile situation and how to go about your business while there, and deal with the stress of what you’ve been through once you’re home. → Read the full guide.