News In Brief

SELF-CENSURESHIP If you haven't heard, a recent national survey asked respondents what they thought of the credibility of the news media in the US, which has been much in question over the past year. Sixty-nine percent of those polled said the media have seriously eroded the distinction between reporting and commentary. Forty-nine percent thought that attention to the personal and ethical behavior of public figures tends to produce and prolong controversies. The survey of 552 people was completed in mid-February. And who, exactly, were they? Reporters, editors, producers, and other news executives.

THEY JUST GOT HOOKED ON IT It must have been a really slow Saturday. Either that, or some people in Singapore had way too much time on their hands. At a shopping center there, volunteers worked for 24 hours putting together what they claim is history's longest paper-clip chain. It stretches 19.57 miles and is being submitted for listing in the Guinness Book of World Records.

Cities most sought out via Excite.com travel services

A list of the 10 cities most often searched for through its Web-site travel facilities was released late last month by Excite.com. A steadily increasing number of consumers are using such expanding Internet services to research and plan for both business and vacation travel. At Excite.com, visitors can search out low airfares, make airline reservations, seek out appropriate restaurants, and check out weather conditions around the globe. The cities most often searched for at Excite.com during the first three months of the year:

1. Las Vegas

2. Cancn, Mexico

3. New York City

4. Paris

5. Chicago

6. New Orleans

7. London

8. San Francisco

9. San Diego

10. Orlando, Fla.

- PR Newswire