Craig Kopp

The revelation that the Justice Department got a hold of phone records at the Associated Press in an effort to track down a leak has already had a chilling effect on the news media.

That's the conclusion of Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute's "Sense Making Project."

"If you're working at the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) or the Department of Agriculture and you think there are stories that the public ought to know, you are very unlike to call a journalist right now," said McBride.

Politicians take positions on issues all of the time. It's part of their job.

And while reasonable people might say that times change, so positions can change, too -- well, politics is not always reasonable.

When a politician changes a position, their opponents are more than likely going to claim they "flip-flopped."

So, holding politicians to the same standards they hold each other, PolitiFact Florida is citing some notable flip-flops this week.

When Washington Wizards Center Jason Collins announced in a "Sports Illustrated" article that he is gay, it was a huge deal in the media.

And, Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute's "Sense Making Project" said the coverage was justified.

"This is big," explained McBride. "We have been waiting for this moment in the United States for a good three or four years."

The media has not provided wall-to-wall coverage of a particularly grisly trial of a Philadelphia abortion doctor because editors and producers say there has not been a hunger for more coverage from readers, listeners and views.

When Governor Rick Scott's "Facebook" page declared recently that "every Florida teacher gets a pay raise," it was only half-true.

That's the word from "PolitiFact Florida."

The Governor is touring the state this week on a "victory tour" for Florida schools. 

"Mother Jones" magazine decided to publish recordings of a campaign strategy session in the Louisville, Ky. offices of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell while keeping the source of that recording anonymous.

The Associated Press Stylebook has decided to recommend against the use of the phrase "illegal immigrant" by journalists because of concerns about accuracy, according to Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute's "Sense Making Project."

Since 1953, the AP has been publishing a stylebook that has become a go-to resource for journalists, writers and advertisers when it comes to style and usage.

But, the AP kicked up some controversy recently when its new stylebook recommended against using the phrase "illegal immigrant."

Changing your Facebook profile picture to support gay marriage is not the same as protesting in the streets.

If you checked out Facebook in the week that the Supreme Court heard two cases on gay marriage, you saw many people's profile pictures changed to a pink equal sign on a red background.

When former Florida Governor Jeb Bush told the recent Conservative Political Action Conference -- CPAC -- that driverless cars being tested have driven 300,000 accident-free miles, he was mostly accurate.

PolitiFact heard about that statement delivered during a speech about the technological superiority of the United States and decided to check it out.

And, PolitiFact's Angie Holan said they found the statement to be mostly true.

The media needs to do a better job of covering rape cases.

That's what the widely covered rape trial of two Steubenville, Ohio football players shows, according to Kelly McBride of the Poynter Institute's "Sense Making Project."