PBS NewsHour; April 5, 2012 6:00pm-7:00pm PDT

Captioning sponsored by MacNEIL/LEHRER PRODUCTIONS

>> Brown: PRESIDENT OBAMA SIGNED LEGISLATION TODAY DESIGNED TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES AND STARTUPS. GOOD EVENING, I'M JEFFREY BROWN.

>> Woodruff: AND I'M JUDY WOODRUFF. ON THE "NEWSHOUR" TONIGHT, WE EXAMINE THE BILL CALLED "THE JOBS ACT" AND ASSESS WHETHER IN THE MOVE TO SPUR JOBS, IT WILL ALSO ROLL BACK REGULATIONS THAT PROTECT INVESTORS.

>> Brown: THEN, WE UPDATE THE CRISIS IN SYRIA, AS GOVERNMENT TROOPS LAUNCHED AN ASSAULT ON A DAMASCUS SUBURB AMID MORE TALK OF A CEASE-FIRE NEXT WEEK.

>> Woodruff: WE LOOK AT REACTION TO THE PRISON SENTENCES FOR FIVE FORMER NEW ORLEANS POLICE OFFICERS CONVICTED IN THE SHOOTINGS OF UNARMED CIVILIANS DURING HURRICANE KATRINA.

>> Brown: FRED DE SAM LAZARO REPORTS FROM UGANDA, WHERE BEING OPENLY GAY IS ILLEGAL AND MEANS FACING STIFF PENALTIES.

>> YOU HAVE POLITICAL LEADERS

>> Woodruff: PLUS, WE HAVE TWO TAKES ON THE MEDIA, STARTING WITH A NEW STUDY SHOWING MORE AND MORE AMERICANS GET THEIR NEWS ON MOBILE DEVICES AND SOCIAL MEDIA.

>> Brown: AND WE HAVE ANOTHER IN OUR "DAILY DOWNLOAD" SERIES. TONIGHT: HOW THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS ARE USING THE VIRTUAL BULLETIN-BOARD PINTEREST TO SHARE PHOTOS AND MORE WITH VOTERS.

>> Brown: THAT'S ALL AHEAD ON TONIGHT'S "NEWSHOUR." MAJOR FUNDING FOR THE PBS NEWSHOUR HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY:

>> AND BY BNSF RAILWAY.

>> AND BY THE BILL AND MELINDA GATES FOUNDATION. DEDICATED TO THE IDEA THAT ALL PEOPLE DESERVE THE CHANCE TO LIVE A HEALTHY PRODUCTIVE LIFE. AND WITH THE ONGOING SUPPORT OF THESE INSTITUTIONS AND FOUNDATIONS. AND... THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING. AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU. THANK YOU.

>> Brown: THE WHITE HOUSE ROSE GARDEN WAS A RARE SCENE OF BI- PARTISANSHIP TODAY. DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS LOOKED ON AS PRESIDENT OBAMA PUT HIS PEN TO A BILL MEANT TO SPARK START-UP COMPANIES. IT WASN'T THE MUCH BROADER JOBS PACKAGE THAT HE CALLED FOR MONTHS AGO, BUT THE PRESIDENT SAID THE BILL HE SIGNED TODAY IS A GAME-CHANGER, JUST THE SAME.

>> THIS BILL REPRESENTS EXACTLY THE KIND OF BIPARTISAN ACTION WE SHOULD BE TAKING IN WASHINGTON TO HELP OUR ECONOMY. I HAVE ALWAYS SAID THE TRUE ENGINE OF JOB CREATION IN THIS COUNTRY IS THE PRIVATE SECTOR NOT THE GOVERNMENT OUR JOB IS TO HELP OUR COMPANIES GROW AND HIRE.

>> Brown: THE "JOBS" ACT'S SUPPORTERS IN CONGRESS ARGUED IT WILL CREATE JOBS BY HELPING STARTUP FIRMS RAISE CAPITAL. UNDER THE "JUMPSTART OUR BUSINESS STARTUPS," or "JOBS" LAW, SUCH COMPANIES HAVE LONGER EXEMPTIONS FROM DISCLOSING FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND DON'T HAVE TO REGISTER WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION UNTIL THEY HAVE 2,000 SHAREHOLDERS, INSTEAD OF THE CURRENT 500. THE STATUTE ALSO PERMITS SO- CALLED "CROWD FUNDING," ALLOWING SMALL, ONLINE SALES OF STOCK TO A LARGE NUMBER OF INVESTORS. BUT THERE'VE ALSO BEEN CONCERNS THAT THE LAW ROLLS BACK INVESTOR PROTECTIONS. LAST MONTH, S.E.C. CHAIR MARY SCHAPIRO SOUNDED A WARNING IN A LETTER TO SENATORS. SHE WROTE: THE PRESIDENT VOWED TODAY NOT TO LET THAT HAPPEN.

>> TO MAKE SURE ORDINARY AMERICANS DON'T GET TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE WEBSITES WHERE FOLKS WILL GO TO FUND ALL THESE START UPS AND SMALL BIZ WILL BE SUBJECT TO RIGOROUS OVERSIGHT. THE S.E.C. IS GOING TO PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN IMPLEMENTING THIS BILL. AND I HAVE DIRECTED MY ADMINISTRATION TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE AS THIS LEGISLATION GOES INTO EFFECT. WE GET TWO VIEWS OF THE NEW LAW NOW, FROM ALBERT SANTALO, FOUNDER AND C.E.O. OF CARE- CLOUD, A HEALTH INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMPANY IN MIAMI, FLORIDA. HE ATTENDED THE WHITE HOUSE CEREMONY THIS AFTERNOON. AND JOHN COFFEE IS A PROFESSOR OF LAW AT COLUMBIA LAW SCHOOL, WHO SPECIALIZES IN CORPORATE AND SECURITIES LAW. HE TESTIFIED ABOUT IT ON CAPITOL HILL. ROBERT SANTALO, I'LL START WITH YOU. WHY IS THIS BILL A GOOD IDEA? HOW WOULD IT HELP SOMEONE LIKE YOU?

>> JEFF, IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE. YOU KNOW, FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS SINCE THE PASSING OF SARBANES-OXLEY THE WHOLE VENTURE WORLD HAS CHANGED, ENTREPRENEURSHIP ITSELF HAS CHANGED AND THIS LEGISLATION REALLY HELPS TO... ENTREPRENEURS TO ACCESS THE NEEDED CAPITAL THAT THEY SO KIND OF THIRST FOR AT THE BEGINNING OF COMPANIES. I THINK THIS HELPS DEMOCRAT TIES THIS WHOLE ENTREPRENEURIAL INITIATIVE SO MORE AND MORE PEOPLE THAT EITHER BECAUSE OF FEAR OR ACCESS TO RESOURCES CAN NOW ACCESS THE WORLD IN TERMS OF INVESTMENT TO GET THEIR COMPANIES AND THEIR IDEAS GOING.

>> Brown: BUT HOW DOES IT DO THAT SPECIFICALLY FOR A COMPANY? WHAT WILL YOU BE ABLE TO DO NOW THAT YOU COULDN'T DO?

>> IN CARE CLOUD'S CASE IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT. WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THINGS LIKE WHAT'S CALLED THE IP WROTE ONRAMP PART OF THE LEGISLATION WHICH ALLOWS COMPANIES TO NOT HAVE TO COMPLY FULLY WITH SARBANES-OXLEY UNTIL FIVE YEARS INTO THEIR INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERING. IF YOU LOOK AT THE WAY THINGS WORKED BEFORE SARBANES-OXLEY, SMALLER COMPANIES HAD ACCESS TO THE PUBLIC MARKETS AND THE CAPITAL THAT THAT BRINGS AND THAT WHOLE EFFECT EFFECT GOES DOWNSTREAM BACK TO THE EARLY STAGE OF INVESTORS, VENTURE CAPITAL. ALL OF THOSE INVESTORS HAVE NOW SWUM UPSTREAM BECAUSE THEIR INVESTMENT HORIZONS HAVE ALL CHANGED. THE ASSET CLASS OF VENTURE CAPITAL IN ITSELF HAS BEEN IMPACTED. IT HA HASN'T PERFORMED WELL IN THE LAST TEN YEARS. THIS CHANGES THINGS BECAUSE NOW INVESTORS... YOU KNOW, INVESTORS WORK IN STACKS WHERE ONE SET OF INVESTORS PASS IT ON TO VENTURE WHICH PASS IT ON TO PUBLIC AND SO FORTH. IT MAKES THAT STACK MORE EFFICIENT. AND SO A COMPANY LIKE CARE CLOUD WHICH IS KIND OF FIGHTING WITH COMPANIES THAT... IN HEALTH CARE TECHNOLOGY WHICH HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR IN SOME CASES 40 YEARS IT MAKES THEM HAVE TO BECOME MORE COMPETITIVE BECAUSE NOW COMPANIES LIKE US CAN ACCESS PUBLIC CAPITAL MUCH EARLIER.

>> Brown: SO JOHN COFFEE, YOU'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS FOR A LONG TIME. SARBANES-OXLEY, OF COURSE, REFERRING BACK TO THE POST-ENRON SCANDAL ISSUES. WHAT CONCERNS DO YOU HAVE WITH THIS NEW LAW?

>> WELL, REASONABLE PEOPLE CAN DISAGREE ABOUT SARBANES-OXLEY AND A NUMBER OF OTHER REVISIONS IN THIS BILL. THERE ARE GOOD THINGS AND BAD THINGS. BUT WHAT'S REALLY FUNDAMENTAL IS THIS BILL UNDOES WHAT HAS BEEN THE KEY OVERARCHING PRINCIPLE OF OUR SYSTEM OF SECURITIES REGULATION FOR 80 YEARS OR MORE. AND THAT KEY PRINCIPLE IS JUSTICE BRANDEIS'S RULE THAT SUNLIGHT IS THE BEST DISINFECTANT, ELECTRICITY THE BEST POLICEMAN. WE LET PEOPLE TAKE HIGH RISK, BUT WE COMPEL DISCLOSURE TO THEM. THAT IS ABOUT TO CHANGE BECAUSE UNDER THE JOBS ACT WE'RE RETREATING FROM THIS PRINCIPLE OF TRANSPARENCY AND WE'RE ALLOWING A LARGE NUMBER OF COMPANIES-- SOME OF THEM QUITE SIZABLE WITH POTENTIALLY BILLIONS IN ASSETS TO SELL STOCK TO THE PUBLIC AND THEN CUT OFF ALL FURTHER DISCLOSURES BECAUSE UNDER THIS STATUTE AS LONG AS YOU DO NOT HAVE 2,000 SHAREHOLDERS OF RECORD-- AND I STRESS THE WORDS "O RECORD"-- THERE'S NO OBLIGATION TO SAY ANYTHING MORE TO THEM. YOU CAN MAKE VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURES, TELL THEM THE GOOD NEWS, NOT THE BAD NEWS. AND T SAD TRUTH IS-- WHICH CONGRESS DIDN'T WANT TO REALIZE-- YOU CAN MANIPULATE THAT 2,000 SHAREHOLDER RECORD LEVEL. YOU CAN HAVE 2,000 BENEFICIAL SHAREHOLDERS HOLDING THE STOCK... 20,000, YOU CAN HOLD THE STOCK THROUGH MERRILL LYNCH THROUGH YOUR BROKER AND ALTHOUGH MERRILL LYNCH MIGHT HOLD STOCK FOR ONLY 5,000 INVESTORS, THEY'RE ONLY ONE SHAREHOLDER OF RECORD. AS A RESULT, THOSE COMPANIES THAT WANT TO HIDE, WANT TO GO DARK, CAN DO SO. AND WHAT I HAVE TO TELL YOU FROM A GREAT DEAL OF EXPERIENCE IS THAT BAD THINGS HAPPEN IN THE DARK. WHEN A COMPANY CEASES TO MAKE DISCLOSURE THERE MAY BE UNFAIR SELF-DEALING TRANSACTIONS, THERE MAY BE ILLEGALITY, THERE MAY BE FOREIGN CORRUPT PRACTICES THEY WANT TO ENGAGE IN AND NOT DISCLOSE, THERE ARE SPECIAL INCENTIVES TO GO DARK, MAKE NO FURTHER DISCLOSURES BUT WITH B ABLE TO SELL YOUR STOCK TO THE PUBLIC. NOT ALL COMPANIES WILL DO THAT BUT SOME WILL.

>> Brown: MR. SANTALO, HOW DO YOU RESPOND TO THAT? THAT THE SPHERE THAT INVESTORS WILL BE PUTTING IN MONEY, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE PUTTING IT INTO AND THEY CAN LOSE A LOT OF MONEY.

>> WELL, I AGREE TRANSPARENCY IS OBVIOUSLY VERY, VERY IMPORTANT IN ALL BUSINESS DEALINGS AND THAT'S TRUE OF COMPANIES OF ANY SIZE. SO A COMPANY LIKE CARE CLOUD THAT ACCESS PRIVATE CAPITAL AND THEN VENTURE CAPITAL, YOU KNOW, WE'RE VERY TRANSPARENT ABOUT THE THINGS WE DO. AND IF WE WEREN'T WE WOULDN'T HAVE THAT CAPITAL. YOU KNOW, THE 2,000 SHAREHOLDER KIND OF LIMIT, THAT'S REALLY FOR PRIVATE COMPANIES, MOST PRIVATE COMPANIES DON'T HAVE 2,000 SHAREHOLDERS... 500 SHAREHOLDERS ANYWAY. AND THINGS HAVE BEEN CIRCUMVENTED, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, REGARDLESS OF THAT. FOR INSTANCE, FACEBOOK HAS ONE INVESTOR... ONE SHAREHOLDER CALLED GOLDMAN SACHS THAT THEN HAS SHAREHOLDERS BEHIND IT. SO THERE'S WAYS TO CIRCUMVENT THIS STUFF ANYWAY. THEY'VE HEARD SOME INCREDIBLE THINGS ABOUT INCREASING THOSE LIMITS TO 2,000 SHAREHOLDERS SO COMMUNITY BANKS CAN ISSUE SHARES TO THEIR EMPLOYEES, WHICH THEY HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO DO. MAKE THEIR EMPLOYEES OWNERS OF THE BUSINESS.

>> Brown: BUT IS YOUR ARGUMENT THAT IT'S WORTH DOING EVEN THOUGH INVESTORS MIGHT LOSE SOME PROTECTIONS? IT'S STILL WORTH DOING BECAUSE IT WILL HELP COMPANIES LIKE YOURS AND THEREFORE PROMOTE JOBS?

>> THERE'S NO SILVER BULLET IN ANY OF THIS STUFF, RIGHT? SO IT'S A BALANCING ACT. THE TRANSPARENCY HAS ALSO CHANGED IN THE LAST 80 YEARS, RIGHTING? SINCE THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE ACT. WE LIVE IN A MUCH FLATTER WORLD. THE INTERNET HAS CHANGED EVERYTHING. NOBODY... EVERYBODY HAS TO KIND OF PROTECT THEIR PERSONAL BRAND. YOU CAN'T JUST DEFRAUD PEOPLE IN ATLANTA AND MOVE TO ARIZONA AND START OVER WITH A CLEAN SLATE THESE DAYS. SO THE INTERNET AND THESE FUNDING PLATFORMS THAT ARE EMERGING ARE GOING TO HELP TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY BUT NOT NECESSARILY LOSE TRANSPARENCY. IT'S JUST THAT THE TRANSPARENCY WILL BE DIFFERENT.

>> Brown: BUT PROFESSOR COFFEE IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU THINK THEY HAVEN'T CHANGED THAT MUCH. THERE WILL BE WAYS TO HIDE INVESTIGATION FROM INVESTORS.

>> I THINK MANY COMPANIES-- MOST COMPANIES-- WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING. THE PROBLEM IS THESE EXEMPTIONS WERE OVERBROAD. YOU COULD HAVE GIVE AN LOT MORE ROOM, A LOT MORE FREEDOM FROM SARBANES-OXLEY FOR NEW STARTUP COMPANIES BUT YOU HAVE WRITTEN SOME PERMANENT RULES NOW THAT ALLOW THOSE COMPANIES THAT WANT TO HIDE IN THE DARK TO DO SO. AND WE HAVE GIVEN VERY OVERBROAD EXEMPTIONS. THE POINT HAS BEEN MADE JUST NOW THAT INTERNET STARTUPS AND I.P.O.s HAVE BEEN DOWN FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS. WELL, THEY'VE BEEN DOWN BECAUSE AN I.P.O. BUBBLE BURST IN 2001 AND IN THE WAKE OF THAT BURST WE FOUND THAT CONFLICTED SECURITIES ANALYSTS WERE MAKING VERY INFLATED RECOMMENDATIONS TO PLEASE THEIR UNDERWRITER BOSSES. THAT'S WHAT ELIOT SPITZER UNCOVERED WHEN FORMS WERE PUT IN PLACE AND NOW WE'RE REPEALING ALL OF THOSE REFORMS AND WE'RE GOING TO STAY PEOPLE WHO WERE FAMOUS TEN YEARS AGO, MR. BLODGETT AND MR. GRUB MAN AND OTHERS, THEY AND THEIR SUCCESSORS CAN COME BACK TO THIS BUSINESS. CONGRESS IS IN EFFECT SAYING WELCOME BACK, GO AND SELL STOCK YOUR OLD-FASHIONED WAY BY PROMOTING IT WITH INFLATED RECOMMENDATIONS. THAT MAY WORK FOR A COUPLE OFFERINGS BUT THAT'S THE SHORT-TERM PERSPECTIVE. YOU WILL LOSE INVESTOR CONFIDENCE AND WHEN YOU LOSE INVESTOR CONFIDENCE THE COST TO CAPITAL GOES UP AND ALL COMPANIES WILL BE HURT.

>> Brown: LET ME ASK YOU IN OUR LAST MINUTE HERE, BRIEFLY, BOTH OF YOU. WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE INVESTORS? IT'S ALWAYS BUYER BEWARE, RIGHT? BUT WHAT NOW MR. SANTALO?

>> SO INVESTORS HAVE A CHOICE, NOBODY'S PUTTING A GUN TO AN INVESTOR'S HEAD AND SAYING "GO MAKE THIS INVESTMENT." EVEN IN THE LAST TEN YEARS THE WORLD HAS CHANGED SO THERE WAS THIS THING CALLED THE INTERNET BUBBLE WHICH WAS A LOT OF PEOPLE SPECULATING WHAT COULD BE POSSIBLE AND INVESTING AHEAD OF THE CURVE. BUT WE CAN NOW SEE THAT THE MODEL WORKS. YOU CAN CREATE AN INCREDIBLY SCALABLE AND VALUABLE BUSINESS ON THE INTERNET TODAY IN A WAY THAT YOU COULDN'T DO IN THE LATE '90s. AND SO ANALYSTS DOING THEIR JOBS WELL, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE INVESTMENT HOUSES AND THE ANALYSTS... THERE HAS BEEN A REFORMER... REFORM AROUND THIS BUT THEY HAVE TO DO THAT WELL AND INVESTORS HAVE TO BE EDUCATED ON ANY TYPE OF INVESTMENT THAT THEY'RE MAKING WHETHER IT BE $10,000 OR $10 MILLION, IT DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, MANAGEMENT TEAMS... SO WE TALK ABOUT SARBANES-OXLEY AND THE REFORM AND SO FORTH, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY REGARDLESS OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY COMPLIANCE ISSUES MANAGEMENT TEAMS HAVE FIDUCIARY DUTIES TO THEIR INVESTORS AND THEY CAN HAVE CRIMINAL CHARGES AND SO FORTH RELATED TO NOT DOING THINGS THE RIGHT WAY. THAT DOESN'T CHANGE.

>> Brown: PROFESSOR COFFEE, A LAST WORD FOR INVESTMENT.

>> THE GENTLEMAN HAS JUST TOLD YOU SELF-REGULATION IS GOOD ENOUGH. IT'S NOT. YOU DO NEED MANDATORY RULES AND THIS LEGISLATION NOT ONLY CURBS S.E.C. AUTHORITY IT TELLS A VARIETY OF BASICALLY SENSIBLE SELF-REGULATORS THAT FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS BOARD, THE FINANCIAL INDUSTRY REGULATORY AUTHORITY AND OTHER SELF-REGULATORS NO LONGER HAVE ANY AUTHORITY OVER THESE EMERGING GROWTH COMPANIES. SOME OF THEM WILL PROVE TO BE VERY SUCCESSFUL. OTHERS WILL BE SERIOUS SCANDALS AND THE BAD ONES HAVE A WAY OF STIGMATIZING THE BAD APPLE RUINS THE WHOLE BARREL SO I WOULD SAY FOR INVESTORS STICK WITH THE COMPANIES LISTED ON EXCHANGES. YOU WILL GET FULL DISCLOSURE. BUT BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT COMPANIES NOT WILLING TO GO ALL THE WAY AND BECOME FULL-SCALE REPORTING COMPANIES.

>> Brown: ALL RIGHT, JOHN COFFEE AND ALBERT SANTALO, THANK YOU BOTH VERY MUCH.

>> THANK YOU, JEFF.

>> Woodruff: STILL TO COME ON THE "NEWSHOUR": NEW BLOODSHED IN SYRIA; PRISON TERMS FOR FORMER NEW ORLEANS POLICE; ANTI-GAY LAWS IN UGANDA; THE CURRENT STATE OF THE NEWS MEDIA AND TRACKING PINTEREST IN THE CAMPAIGN. BUT FIRST, THE OTHER NEWS OF THE DAY. HERE'S HARI SREENIVASAN.

>> Sreenivasan: THE TALIBAN MOUNTED NEW ATTACKS IN AFGHANISTAN TODAY IN A BID TO REASSERT CONTROL AND UNDERMINE U.S. EFFORTS. IN THE WEST, GUNMEN KILLED TEN MEMBERS OF A PRO-GOVERNMENT MILITIA. AND IN THE NORTHEAST, A SUICIDE BOMBER KILLED TWO PEOPLE AND WOUNDED 16. THE INJURED WALKED OR WERE STRETCHERED TO A HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. OFFICIALS SAID THE TARGET WAS A LOCAL ELDER, WHO'S SEEN AS AN OBSTACLE TO THE TALAN. THE U.S. AND GREAT BRITAIN ARE WARNING THERE'S A HIGH RISK OF A TERROR ATTACK IN NIGERIA OVER THE EASTER HOLIDAY. THE WARNINGS WERE AIMED AT BRITISH AND AMERICAN CITIZENS IN THE WEST AFRICAN NATION. THEY CENTERED PRIMARILY ON NORTHERN REGIONS WHERE A RADICAL ISLAMIST GROUP BOKO HARAM CONDUCTS NEAR-DAILY ATTACKS. AN ATTACK LAST CHRISTMAS DAY KILLED 44 PEOPLE IN THE NIGERIAN CAPITAL, ABUJA. THE U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL AFFIRMED TODAY THAT THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION DOES RESPECT THE AUTHORITY OF FEDERAL COURTS TO OVERTURN LAWS. A FEDERAL APPEALS JUDGE IN TEXAS ASKED FOR THAT ASSURANCE THIS WEEK, IN WRITING. THAT'S AFTER THE PRESIDENT SAID IT WOULD BE UNPRECEDENTED IF THE SUPREME COURT STRIKES DOWN THE HEALTH CARE REFORM LAW. ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC HOLDER ANSWERED THAT THE GOVERNMENT'S VIEW ON JUDICIAL REVIEW HAS NOT CHANGED. PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS ENTERED THE FRAY OVER A BAN ON WOMEN MEMBERS AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL GOLF CLUB. THE ISSUE CROPPED UP AGAIN TODAY, AS THE MASTERS TOURNAMENT OPENED AT THE FAMED GEORGIA COURSE. WOMEN ARE ALLOWED TO PLAY AT AUGUSTA, AS INVITED GUESTS, BUT NOT TO JOIN. IN WASHINGTON, WHITE HOUSE SPOKESMAN JAY CARNEY WAS ASKED WHAT THE PRESIDENT THINKS ABOUT THE BAN.

>> IT'S OBVIOUSLY UP TO THE CLUB TO DECIDE. BUT HIS PERSONAL OPINION IS THAT WOMEN SHOULD BE ADMITTED TO THE CLUB. I THINK WE'RE LONG PAST THE TIME WHEN WOMEN SHOULD BE EXCLUDED FROM ANYTHING.

>> Sreenivasan: REPUBLICAN MITT ROMNEY AGREED. HE SAID: "IF I COULD RUN AUGUSTA, WHICH ISN'T LIKELY TO HAPPEN, OF COURSE I'D HAVE WOMEN." AUGUSTA NATIONAL'S CHAIRMAN SAID THIS WEEK IT'S UP TO THE CLUB'S MEMBERS TO DECIDE ON POLICY CHANGES. THE BRITISH SATELLITE NEWS CHANNEL SKY NEWS ADMITTED TODAY ITS REPORTERS HACKED E-MAILS TWICE FOR STORIES. IT WAS THE LATEST PART OF RUPERT MURDOCH'S MEDIA EMPIRE TO ACKNOWLEDGE ILLEGAL HACKING. THE COMPANY SAID ONE CASE INVOLVED A MAN WHO FAKED HIS OWN DEATH IN A BOATING ACCIDENT FOR INSURANCE MONEY. SKY NEWS MAINTAINED IT WAS DONE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST AND THAT THE E-MAILS WERE TURNED OVER TO POLICE. GREG MORTENSON, AUTHOR OF THE BOOK "THREE CUPS OF TEA," WILL NOW BE FORCED TO PAY THE CHARITY HE FOUNDED A MILLION DOLLARS. THE MONTANA ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE REPORTED TODAY THAT THE AUTHOR USED NEARLY $4 MILLION OF THE CHARITY'S FUNDS TO BUY COPIES OF HIS BOOK. A "60 MINUTES" INVESTIGATION ON CBS ALSO RAISED QUESTIONS ABOUT WHETHER SECTIONS OF MORTENSON'S STORY WERE A LIE. THE CHARITY'S MISSION WAS TO BUILD SCHOOLS IN PAKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN. FIRST-TIME CLAIMS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FELL AGAIN LAST WEEK, BUT THE NEWS DID LITTLE TODAY TO HELP THE MOOD ON WALL STREET. INSTEAD, STOCKS STRUGGLED TO HOLD THEIR GROUND, AMID RENEWED FEARS THAT SPAIN MAY YET DEFAULT ON ITS NATIONAL DEBT. THE DOW JONES INDUSTRIAL AVERAGE LOST 14 POINTS TO CLOSE AT 13,60. THE NASDAQ ROSE 12 POINTS TO CLOSE AT 3,080. THE MARKETS WILL BE CLOSED TOMORROW FOR GOOD FRIDAY. THOSE ARE SOME OF THE DAY'S MAJOR STORIES. NOW, BACK TO JUDY.

>> Woodruff: NEXT TONIGHT, THE SYRIA STORY. AMID MUCH DIPLOMATIC TALK, THE KILLING CONTINUES. THE CURRENT AND FORMER SECRETARY GENERALS OF THE U.N. SEEMED TO BE OFFERING DIFFERENT ASSESSMENTS OF WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHILE THE WORLD'S MAJOR POWERS KEEP DISCUSSING THE ISSUE AT THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL, NONE ARE BUDGING FROM THEIR DIFFERING VIEWS ON WHAT TO DO NEXT. ( GUNFIRE ) SHELLS RAINED DOWN ON CITIES ACROSS SYRIA TODAY, DAYS BEFORE A CEASE-FIRE DEADLINE. ACTIVISTS SAID A GOVERNMENT ASSAULT ON DOUMA, A SUBURB OF DAMASCUS, WAS ONE OF THE FIERCEST YET. ALL OF THIS, AS UNITED NATIONS PEACE ENVOY KOFI ANNAN SAID HE EXPECTS THE SHOOTING TO STOP BY APRIL 12. HE ADDRESSED THE U.N. GENERAL ASSEMBLY VIA VIDEO LINK FROM GENEVA.

>> WE MUST SILENCE THE TANKS, HELICOPTERS, MOTORS, GUNS AND STOP ALL OTHER FORMS OF VIOLENCE TOO. SEXUAL ABUSE, TORTURE, EXECUTIONS, ABDUCTIONS, DESTRUCTION OF HOMES, FORCED DISPLACEMENT, AND OTHER ABUSES INCLUDING ON CHILDREN.

>> Woodruff: THE ANNAN PLAN CALLS FOR SYRIAN FORCES TO WITHDRAW FROM CITIES AND TOWNS BY APRIL 10. A FULL CESSATION OF VIOLENCE WOULD FOLLOW WITHIN 48 HOURS. SYRIAN OFFICIALS INSISTED THEY HAVE BEGUN WITHDRAWALS FROM THE PROVINCES OF DARAA AND IDLIB AND THE RESORT TOWN OF ZABADANI. BUT THE OPPOSITION SAID IN FACT, GOVERNMENT TROOPS CONTINUE TO MAN CHECKPOINTS IN THOSE CITIES. BACK AT THE U.N., SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON APPEALED TO SYRIAN PRESIDENT BASHAR AL-ASSAD TO SHOW VISION AND LEADERSHIP.

>> THE SITUATION ON THE GROUND CONTINUES TO DETERIORATE. VIOLENCE SHOULD HAVE STOPPED MONTHS AGO. INDEED, IT NEVER SHOULD HAVE STARTED, PARTICULARLY SINCE IT WAS UNLEASHED IN RESPONSE TO THE LEGITIMATE DEMANDS OF THE SYRIAN PEOPLE.

>> Woodruff: THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL CALLED TODAY FOR ASSAD TO ACT NOW TO HALT THE FIGHTING. BUT IT STOPPED SHORT OF SAYING MORE AND DIPLOMATS SAID RUSSIA AND CHINA HAD RULED OUT STRONGER LANGUAGE. THE U.S. AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N. SUSAN RICE VOICED SKEPTICISM THAT DAMASCUS WILL COMPLY WITH THE CEASEFIRE DEADLINE.

>> WE HAVE HEARD STATEMENTS BY THE GOVERNMENT THAT THEY INTEND TO BEGIN TO TAKE STEPS TO MEET THEIR OBLIGATIONS UNDER THEIR AGREEMENT WITH THE JOINT SPECIAL ENVOY. AS I'VE SAID IN THE PAST, WE WILL BE LOOKING AT ACTIONS AND DEEDS RATHER THAN THEIR WORDS.

>> Woodruff: IN PARIS, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER ALAIN JUPPE AGREED. HE COMPLAINED THAT "ASSAD IS DECEIVING US." MEANWHILE, SYRIAN REFUGEES CONTINUED TO POUR OVER THE BORDER INTO TURKEY. OFFICIALS THERE COUNTED NEARLY 2,400 NEW ARRIVALS IN THE JUST THE PAST DAY.

>> Brown: NOW, AN UPDATE ON DEADLY SHOOTINGS BY NEW ORLEANS POLICE OFFICERS AND THE COVER-UP THAT FOLLOWED. SENTENCES WERE HANDED OUT TO SEVERAL OFFICERS YESTERDAY, BUT THERE WERE QUESTIONS EVEN THEN ABOUT HOW THE CASE WAS RESOLVED. HURRICANE KATRINA ASSAULTED THE GULF COAST NEARLY EIGHT YEARS AGO, DROWNING THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS AND LEAVING CHAOS IN ITS WAKE. THERE WAS LOOTING, DISORDER AND POLICE MISCONDUCT. THE WORST INCIDENT CAME LESS THAN A WEEK AFTER THE STORM, AT THE DANZIGER BRIDGE, OVER THE INDUSTRIAL CANAL, IN EAST NEW ORLEANS. ON SEPTEMBER 4, 2005, POLICE ANSWERED A CALL THAT OTHER OFFICERS WERE UNDER FIRE NEAR THE BRIDGE. THEY RESPONDED, AND OPENED FIRE, KILLING TWO PEOPLE-- BOTH OF THEM UNARMED-- AND WOUNDING FOUR. LAST AUGUST, FIVE FORMER OFFICERS WERE CONVICTED ON FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS, IN THE SHOOTINGS AND ENSUING COVER-UP. YESTERDAY, A FEDERAL JUDGE SENTENCED FOUR OF THEM TO PRISON TERMS RANGING FROM 38 TO 65 YEARS. THE FIFTH GOT SIX YEARS BEHIND BARS. THE FBI SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE OF THE CASE, DAVE WELKER, WELCOMED THE OUTCOME.

>> THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF MY MOST SIGNIFICANT CASES IN MY TENURE HERE IN NEW ORLEANS. REALLY PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CIVIL RIGHTS CASES IN THE COUNTRY.

>> Brown: ONE OF THOSE KILLED WAS RONALD MADISON, A 40-YEAR- OLD WITH MENTAL DISABILITIES. HIS BROTHER LANCE WAS WITH HIM ON THE BRIDGE THAT DAY.

>> ME AND MY BROTHER RONALD WE WAS VERY CLOSE. HE'S VERY SPECIAL TO ME AND WE LOVED EACH OTHER. I REALLY MISS HIM. I'M JUST SO THANKFUL THAT WE FOUND SOME JUSTICE FOR HIM.

>> Brown: THREE OTHER OFFICERS ENTERED PLEA BARGAINS IN THE SHOOTINGS AND RECEIVED LESSER SENTENCES IN EXCHANGE. THE FEDERAL JUDGE IN THE CASE COMPLAINED AT LENGTH YESTERDAY ABOUT THE DISPARITY IN PUNISHMENT MANDATED UNDER STILL, ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL TOM PEREZ MAINTAINED THE CASE WAS A SUCCESS PROSECUTION.

>> EVERYONE WILL HAVE THEIR OWN THOUGHTS ABOUT THE SENTENCES. SOME MAY THINK THEY'RE TOO HIGH, SOME MAY THINK THEY'RE TOO LOW, BUT WHATEVER YOU THINK AT THIS TIME THESE SENTENCES REPRESENT THE GREAT SUCCESS OF THE VARIOUS PARTS THAT MAKE UP AN OUTSTANDING CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

>> Brown: THE CASE WAS ALSO A KEY ELEMENT IN THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT'S EFFORTS TO CLEAN UP LONGSTANDING CORRUPTION IN THE RANKS OF NEW ORLEANS POLICE. THE TWO AGENCIES ARE NOW WORKING ON A CONSENT DECREE, SPELLING OUT REFORMS TO CHANGE THE CULTURE OF THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. AND WE'RE JOINED FROM NEW ORLEANS BY GORDON RUSSELL, CITY EDITOR OF THE "TIMES-PICAYUNE." SO, THE JUDGE HANDED DOWN SENTENCES, BUT EXPRESSED A LOT OF FRUSTRATION AND ANGER. TELL US WHAT WAS GOING ON?

>> WELL, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE JUDGE, BUT HE SEEMED TO BE FRUSTRATED BY THE PLEA BARGAINS IN PARTICULAR. HE SEEMED TO FEEL THAT... HE MADE A COMMENT TO THE EFFECT OF IT BOTHERS THEM TO USE LIARS TO CONVICT LIARS AND HE SEEMED TO FEEL THE SENTENCES GRANTED TO SOME OF THE OFFICERS WHO COOPERATED AND AGREED TO TESTIFY AGAINST THEIR FELLOW OFFICERS WERE TWO LENIENT AND HE WAS SORT OF BOXED IN BY HAVING TO GIVE LONG SENTENCES TO THE OFFICERS WHO WENT TO TRIAL.

>> Brown: FILL IN THAT PICTURE FOR US. HE CALLED USING SOME LIARS TO CONVICT OTHER LIARS. HE'S TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE WHO PLED AND WORKED WITH THE FEDS?

>> YEAH, THERE WERE FIVE OFFICERS WHO PLED AND TESTIFIED AGAINST THE FIVE OFFICERS WHO WENT TO TRIAL AND HE SEEMED TO THINK THAT SOME OF THEIR TESTIMONY WAS SELF-SERVING. ONE OF THE OFFICERS WHO HAD A PLEA DEAL WAS MICHAEL HUNTER. HE WAS DRIVING THE BUDGET RENTAL TRUCK THAT WENT TO THE SCENE OF THE BRIDGE. HE RECEIVED AN EIGHT-YEAR SENTENCE. HE ADMITTED TO A LOT OF PARTICIPATING TO THE SHOOTINGS SIMILARLY TO THE FOUR GUYS SENTENCED TO VERY LONG SENTENCES YESTERDAY. I THINK THE JUDGE FELT HIS TESTIMONY WAS SELF-SERVING, SOME OF IT MAYBE WASN'T TRUE AND HE WAS SENTENCED TO EIGHT YEARS AND THESE OTHER GUYS WERE LOOKING AT TO 38 TO 65 YEARS.

>> Brown: AND THE RESPONSE FROM THE FEDERAL PROSECUTORS WAS THIS IS THE WAY WE HAD TO DO IT.

>> OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE VERY CAREFUL IN WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT A FEDERAL JUDGE'S WORDS BUT TOM PEREZ SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF WE DON'T GET TO GO TO THE WITNESS STORE AND PICK THE WITNESSES AND THIS IS KIND OF THE WAY CRIMINAL CASES ARE MADE IS THEIR VIEW, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE A CONSPIRACY INVOLVING THAT LASTS FOR YEARS IN WHICH YOU REALLY NEED SOMEBODY INVOLVED IN THE CONSPIRACY TO COME FORWARD TO CRACK THE CASE. IF THEY TRIED TO MAKE THIS CASE SIMPLY ON THE TESTIMONY OF THE VICTIMS IT MIGHT HAVE HAD A TOTALLY DIFFERENT OUTCOME. AND I THINK FOR THE JURY, THE TESTIMONY OF COPS TESTIFYING AGAINST OTHER COPS WAS VERY POWERFUL AND EVEN THOUGH THEY DID GET PLEA BARGAIN IT IS COPS WHO SIGNED PLEA DEALS ARE ALL GOING TO JAIL FOR A GOOD BIT OF TIME, TOO. THEIR SENTENCES RANGE FROM THREE YEARS TO EIGHT YEARS BUT THEIR... IT WASN'T LIKE THEY GOT OFF SCOTT, EITHER.

>> Brown: WHAT DID YOUR REPORTERS HERE A HEAR FROM FAMILY MEMBERS? WHAT WAS THEIR REACTION AFTER THE SENTENCING.

>> THEY WERE GENERALLY SATISFIED WITH THE SENTENCES. I MEAN, I THINK... THE ONE PERSON WHO GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A BREAK WAS ARCHIE KAUFMAN WHO WAS THE LEAD DETECTIVE IN THE CASE AND HE WAS... HE GOT A SIX-YEAR SENTENCE AND THE SENTENCING GUIDELINES CALLED FOR MORE LIKE TEN YEARS AND THE PROSECUTION HAD WANTED 20 YEARS BECAUSE THEY FELT HE REALLY WENT FAR AND ABOVE THE CALL OF DUTY IN ORCHESTRATING THIS COVERUP. HE WAS ACCUSED OF INVENTING WITNESSES AND PLANTING A GUN THAT HE KEPT AT HIS HOUSE THAT HE REFERRED TO AS A HAM SANDWICH HE WENT AND RETRIEVED THIS GUN AND PUT IT INTO EVIDENCE AND SAID IT HAD BELONGED TO THE VICTIMS. SO GOING BACK TO THE VICTIMS, I THINK THEY WERE A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED THAT HE GOT A LIGHTER SENTENCE THAN THAT. BUT THE OTHER SENTENCES THEY WERE PLEASED WITH GENERALLY AND THEY SORT OF SEEMED TAKEN ABACK BY THE JUDGE'S CRITIQUES OF THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WHICH I THINK THE FAMILIES FEEL LIKE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT REALLY STAYED WITH THEM ON THIS AND DID A GOOD JOB. THIS WAS THE CASE THAT HAD BEEN PROSECUTED LOCALLY INITIALLY BY THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND IT COMPLETELY FELL APART AND THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT KIND OF INHERITED IT THREE OR FOUR YEARS AFTER THE STORM AND HAD TO START FROM SCRATCH, ESSENTIALLY, AND WAS ABLE TO... YOU KNOW, IN THE END THEY'VE CONVICTED 11 PEOPLE SO FAR AND THERE'S ONE OFFICER WHO STILL IS SCHEDULED FOR TRIAL NEXT MONTH.

>> Brown: GORDON, JUST TELL US BRIEFLY, IF YOU WOULD, ABOUT THE LARGER REFORMS THAT I REFERRED TO IN THE SETUP WHERE THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT IS WORKING WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN A CIVIL CASE. WHAT ARE THEY AFTERTHERE?

>> WELL, THERE'S A WHOLE RANGE OF THINGS. IT'S EXPECTED TO BE THE MOST WIDE RANGING CONSENT DECREE THAT THE COUNTRY HAS EVER SEEN. THESE ARE DOCUMENTS THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT NEGOTIATES WITH LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS THAT THEY... WHEN THEY FIND A PATTERN IN PRACTICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS ABUSES TYPICALLY AND THEY'VE DONE THEM IN LOS ANGELES AND CINCINNATI AND PITTSBURGH AND SOME OTHER PLACES. SOMETHING THAT'S DIRECTLY RELATED TO THIS CASE THAT WILL COME OUT OF IT IS THEY'RE GOING TO DEFINITELY CHANGE THEIR POLICIES ON USE OF FORCE, INVESTIGATIONS LIKE POLICE-INVOLVED SHOOTINGS AND TYPICALLY THE FEELING HERE IS THAT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN INVESTIGATED PARTICULARLY WELL IN THE PAST AND THE DANZIGER BRIDGE CASE IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT. THE N.O.P.D. FOUND NOTHING UNTOWARD HAPPENED HERE. SO THAT WILL BE ONE THING THAT THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT WILL INSIST ON CHANGES IN THE WAY THOSE ARE INVESTIGATED BUT IT'S GOING TO BAN A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER THINGS, INCLUDING MAYBE HOW OFFICERS ARE DEPLOYED. IT'S GOING TO PROBABLY... DEFINITELY IT WILL INVOLVE THE USE OF POLICE DETAILS WHICH HAVE BEEN CRITICIZED BY THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT HERE. A LOT OF OFFICERS SPENT A LOT OF THEIR TIME WORKING ON PRIVATE DETAILS AND THE CRITICISM HAS BEEN THAT THEY CARE MORE ABOUT THOSE THAN THEIR JOBS IN SOME CASES.

>> Brown: GORDON RULL OF THE "TIMES PICAYUNE" THANKS SO MUCH.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Woodruff: AN AFRICAN CAMPAIGN AGAINST GAYS RUNS INTO A WARNING FROM THE UNITED STATES. FRED DE SAM LAZARO REPORTS FROM UGANDA. A VERSION OF THIS STORY ALSO AIRED ON THE PBS PROGRAM "RELIGION AND ETHICS NEWSWEEKLY."

>> DAVID'S MURDER WAS SUPPOSED TO CAUSE ALL OF US WHO SUPPORT HUMAN RIGHTS TO LIVE IN FEAR.

>> Reporter: DAVID KATO WAS MEMORIALIZED RECENTLY ON THE FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF HIS DEATH, IN A SERVICE LED BY PASTOR JOSEPH TOLTON, A GAY RIGHTS ADVOCATE VISITING FROM NEW YORK. KATO'S ACTIVISM IN A LAND WHERE HOMOSEXUALITY IS DEEPLY TABOO MADE HIM A TARGET FOR A TABLOID CALLED "ROLLING STONE." THE PAPER PUBLISHED THE NAMES OF WHAT IT CALLED THE COUNTRY'S TOP HOMOS. UNDER THE WORDS "HANG THEM" WAS KATO'S PHOTOGRAPH. A FEW DAYS LATER, HE WAS BEATEN TO DEATH. ADVOCATES SAY IT WAS ONLY THE MOST BRUTAL INCIDENT IN AN INCREASINGLY HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT FOR GAYS-- ONE THAT COULD SOON BE WRITTEN INTO LAW.

>> WE WILL NOT BE QUASHED BY THE BAHATI BILL.

>> Reporter: THE BAHATI BILL, NAMED AFTER ITS AUTHOR, DAVID BAHATI IN UGANDA'S PARLIAMENT, WAS INTRODUCED IN 2009 AND REINTRODUCED EARLIER THIS YEAR. IT WOULD ADD SEVERE PENALTIES- DEATH IN SOME CASES-FOR HOMOSEXUALITY, WHICH IS ALREADY ILLEGAL UNDER ANTI SODOMY LAWS PASSED DURING BRITISH COLONIAL TIMES.

>> I COULD BE PUT IN JAIL FOR LIFE FOR NOT DOING ANYTHING BUT FOR SAYING I AM A HOMOSEXUAL AND FOR BEING OUT BECAUSE I STILL

>> Reporter: FRANK MUGISHA IS UGANDA'S BEST KNOWN GAY RIGHTS ADVOCATE. HE TOOK OVER THE GROUP LED BY DAVID KATO. MUGISHA BLAMES AMERICAN EVANGELICAL PASTORS, INCLUDING MASSACHUSETTS-BASED SCOTT LIVELY FOR HELPING STOKE THE INTOLERANCE.

>> WHAT HAS CAUSED THESE PEOPLE TO END UP IN THIS CONDITION THAT GOD CONDEMNS THAT IS HURTING THEM AND THAT WE WANT TO HELP THEM TO OVERCOME?

>> Reporter: VIDEOS POSTED ON THE INTERNET SHOW LIVELY CONDUCTING SEMINARS HERE DECRYING A GLOBAL HOMOSEXUAL AGENDA, INSISTING THAT HOMOSEXUALITY IS A LEARNED BEHAVIOR THAT CAN BE UNLEARNED AND THAT HE'D HELPED MANY PEOPLE DO SO. LIVELY DENIES HE EVER CALLED FOR VIOLENCE BUT MUGISHA SAYS IN A DEEPLY RELIGIOUS COUNTRY, VISITING CLERICS WIELD STRONG INFLUENCE OVER LOCAL CLERGY AND POLICY MAKERS

>> YOU HAVE POLITICAL LEADERS SAYING WE SHOULD NEVER ACCEPT HOMOSEXUALITY; A POLITICAL LEADER SAYING IF THE LAW IS PASSED, I'LL GO AND TAKE A JOB IN THE PRISONS TO HANG THE HOMOSEXUALS MYSELF. SO IF IT IS A POLITICAL LEADER, A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT SAYING THAT THE HOW ARE PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE, WHO VOTED FOR THEM, WHO LISTEN TO THEM HOW ARE THEY GOING TO REACT?

>> Reporter: REACTION ON THE STREETS WAS STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF THE ANTI-HOMOSEXUALITY BILL. POLLS THAT HAVE SHOWN THAT 95% OF UGANDANS FAVOR CRIMINALIZING HOMOSEXUALITY. EVEN DAVID KATO'S FUNERAL WAS NOT FREE OF ANTI GAY RHETORIC FROM A PASTOR, WHO ATTENDED.

>> YOU SHOULD REPENT.

>> Reporter: WHEN FIRST INTRODUCED, UGANDA'S ANTI HOMOSEXUALITY BILL PROVOKED AN INTERNATIONAL OUTCRY AMONG DONOR NATIONS-A LARGE PART OF UGANDA'S BUDGET COMES FROM FOREIGN AID. THE MEASURE WAS SHELVED, UNTIL WHAT SOME PEOPLE HERE CALL A NEW PROVOCATION LATE LAST YEAR.

>> GAY RIGHTS ARE HUMAN RIGHTS AND HUMAN RIGHTS ARE GAY RIGHTS.

>> Reporter: SECRETARY OF STATE HILLARY CLINTON TOLD THIS GATHERING IN GENEVA THAT THE U.S WAS PLACING THE RIGHTS OF LESBIANS, GAYS, BISEXUALS AND TRANSGENDERED PEOPLE AT THE HEART OF ITS HUMAN RIGHTS AGENDA, AND TYING IT TO AID DECISIONS

>> THE PRESIDENT HAS DIRECTED ALL U.S. GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ENGAGED OVERSEAS TO COMBAT THE CRIMINALIZATION OF L.G.B.T. STATUS AND CONDUCT, TO ENHANCE EFFORTS TO PROTECT VULNERABLE L.G.B.T. REFUGEES AND ASYLUM SEEKERS, TO ENSURE THAT OUR FOREIGN ASSISTANCE PROMOTES THE PROTECTION OF L.G.B.T. RIGHTS.

>> THIS IS GOING TO BE REALLY TOUGH ON AFRICA, BECAUSE MOST AFRICAN NATIONS CONSIDER GAYISM.

>> Reporter: GAYISM?

>> AS A BEHAVIOR. NOT AS A CULTURE, NOT AS A FAITH AND DEFINITELY NOT AS A WAY OF LIFE.

>> Reporter: PASTOR JOSEPH SERWADDA, WHO HEADS AN ASSOCIATION OF EVANGELICAL CHURCHES, SAYS WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE IMPOSING THEIR VALUES AND AGENDA ON SUBSAHARAN AFRICA. AS PROOF HE NOTED THAT THE U.S. EMBASSYS HEAD OF MISSION ATTENDED THE FUNERAL OF GAY ACTIVIST DAVID KATO.

>> MANY PEOPLE, THOUSANDS OF THEM DIE OF HIV/AIDS, OF OTHER ILLNESSES AND AILMENTS. WE'VE NEVER SEEN AN AMBASSADOR SHOW UP AT A GRAVESITE.

>> Reporter: COULD IT BE THAT HIS PICTURE WAS ON THE FRONT PAGE OF A MAGAZINE THAT SAID, HANG THEM?

>> COULD ALSO BE THAT AMERICA HAS AN AGENDA FOR HOMOSEXUALS IN UGANDA.

>> Reporter: LIKE POLICE AND PROSECUTORS IN THE KATO MURDER CASE, HE SAYS ROBBERY OR A SOURED BUSINESS DEAL COULD WELL HAVE BEEN THE MOTIVE, NOT HOMOPHOBIA. PASTOR SERWADDA ISN'T SURE HE'S EVER MET A GAY PERSON IN UGANDA AND SAYS IT IS PROOF THAT HOMO SEXUALITY WAS NEVER AN ISSUE HERE UNTIL GAYS IN THE WEST BEGAN STIRRING THINGS UP- ENCOURAGING UGANDANS TO PUSH FOR SPECIAL RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS THEY DON'T NEED.

>> NOBODY HAS GONE TO JAIL; NOBODY HAS BEEN HARASSED; NOBODY HAS BEEN OSTRACIZED BECAUSE OF THEIR SEXUAL ORIENTATION.

>> Reporter: WOW. THAT'S CONTRARY TO WHAT WE HEAR.

>> YOU'VE ONLY COME IN THE COUNTRY A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. WE LIVE HERE. I'VE LIVED HERE FOR MORE THAN 50 YEARS, SO I KNOW.

>> Reporter: BUT YOU'VE NEVER MET A GAY PERSON.

>> ONLY ONE. AND I WASN'T SURE HE WAS.

>> Reporter: BUT YOU KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT HARASSED.

>> THEY'RE NOT!

>> Reporter: HE SAYS THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION IS PUSHING GAY RIGHTS NOW TO COURT THE GAY VOTE IN THE U.S. ELECTION. WE TRIED TO TALK TO U.S. OFFICIALS FOR THIS REPORT. BUT OUR REQUEST TO INTERVIEW THE AMBASSADOR OR ANY OTHER SPOKESPERSON FOR THE U.S. EMBASSY IN UGANDA WAS TURNED DOWN. IT'S AN INDICATION OF HOW DELICATE THE ISSUE OF GAY RIGHTS IS HERE IN UGANDA. MEANWHILE THE ANTI-GAY LEGISLATION IS WORKING ITS WAY THROUGH A LENGTHY HEARING PROCESS. AMONG THOSE PAYING CLOSE ATTENTION IS THE ROBERT F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS AND JUSTICE. LAST YEAR, IT AWARDED ITS ANNUAL PRIZE TO FRANK MUGISHA.

>> ROBERT KENNEDY WOULD HAVE BEEN AMAZED BY YOUR WORK, FRANK.

>> Reporter: IT'S THE FIRST TIME THE PRIZE HAS EVER BEEN AWARDED TO A GAY RIGHTS CAMPAIGNER. MUGISHA SAYS THE AWARD AND THE NOTORIETY ARE A MIXED BLESSING. IT BESTOWS INTERNATIONAL LEGITIMACY AND MAY ALLOW HIM ACCESS TO POLICYMAKERS. STILL, WITH EMOTIONS RUNNING HIGH, MUGISHA LIVES IN ALMOST CONSTANT FEAR FOR HIS PHYSICAL SAFETY

>> I'M NOT SCARED OF THE GOVERNMENT. I KEEP SAYING THAT. IF THE GOVERNMENT REALLY WANTED TO HARM ME THEY WOULD DO THAT. I'M SCARED OF ORDINARY PEOPLE. JUST RECENTLY WHEN SOMEONE WROTE IN THE NEWSPAPER ABOUT ME, AND IF YOU WENT A READ THERE WERE FACEBOOK COMMENTS ON THAT AND IF YOU READ THE COMMENTS PEOPLE WERE SAYING THEY COULD KILL ME IF THEY SAW ME.

>> Reporter: ON FACEBOOK?

>> ON FACEBOOK ON THE MONITOR, SO PEOPLE WERE SAYING ALL KINDS OF HORRIBLE THINGS. AND I INTERACT WITH PEOPLE, YOU KNOW AND PEOPLE TELL YOU HORRIBLE THINGS, RIGHT TO YOUR FACE.

>> Reporter: SO EVEN AS MUGISHA HOPES THAT INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE CAN DISSUADE UGANDA FROM PASSING ITS ANTI HOMOSEXUALITY LAW, HE MUST WORRY ABOUT A MORE IMMEDIATE THREAT: RANDOM VIOLENCE THAT HAS OFTEN ACCOMPANIED PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOMOSEXUALITY.

>> Brown: ON OUR WEBSITE, FRED DESCRIBES HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS TO REPORT THIS STORY. HIS BLOG IS POSTED ON OUR HOME PAGE AT newshour.pbs.org. FRED'S REPORTING IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNDER-TOLD STORIES PROJECT AT ST. MARY'S UNIVERSITY IN MINNESOTA.

>> Woodruff: NOW, TWO MEDIA STORIES BEGINNING WITH THE HEALTH OF THE INDUSTRY. BARELY A WEEK GOES BY WITHOUT MORE BAD NEWS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL CONDITION OF TRADITIONAL MEDIA, BUT A RECENT REPORT FROM THE PEW RESEARCH CENTER FOUND SOME ENCOURAGING DEVELOPMENTS AMID CONTINUING PROBLEMS. SOME OF THE KEY FINDINGS: CONSUMERS ARE INCREASINGLY USING MOBILE DEVICES, SUCH AS SMARTPHONES AND TABLETS, TO ADD TO THE AMOUNT OF NEWS THEY READ. THEY ALSO ARE FINDING SOME OF THE NEWS THROUGH FACEBOOK AND TWITTER LINKS, BUT NOT IN HUGE NUMBERS YET. AT THE SAME TIME, NEWSPAPERS ARE INCREASINGLY TRYING TO MAKE MONEY OFF THE CONTENT THEY PROVIDE ON THE WEB, EVEN AS PRINT CIRCULATION AND AD REVENUE CONTINUE DECLINING. MARK JURKOWITZ IS THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF THE CENTER'S PROJECT FOR EXCELLENCE IN JOURNALISM. AND HE JOINS ME NOW. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU AGAIN.

>> THANK YOU, JUDY.

>> Woodruff: SO BEFORE WE GET TO SPECIFICS, IT SEEMS TO ME THE BOTTOM LINE WHEN IT COMES TO AUDIENCE THAT FOR MOST OF THE MEDIA THERE'S BEEN, WHAT, A STEMMING OF THE BLEEDING IN AUDIENCE NUMBERS?

>> WE SAW A LITTLE BIT OF A TURNAROUND IN AUDIENCE MEMBERS, PARTICULARLY IN TELEVISION. ONE THING WE SHOULD... TO GIVE IT CONTEXT IS 2011 WAS A BIG NEWS YEAR. WE HAD THE EARTHQUAKE IN JAPAN, WE HAD THE ARAB SPRING, WE HAD THE INTENSIFICATION OF THE PRESIDENTIAL RACE. SO THERE WERE A LOT OF MAJOR NEWS EVENTS, AND I THINK THAT WAS REFLECTED IN THE GROWTH OF ALMOST 5%, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE NETWORK NEWS AUDIENCE WHICH REVERSES DECLINES. A SMALL BUT... YOU KNOW, MODEST GROWTH IN LOCAL TELEVISION NEWS WHICH REVERSED DECLINES. A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPTICK IN CABLE, ALTHOUGH THEY THERE THE BIG NEWS IS CNN IN PRIME TIME ENJOYED A SIGNIFICANT JUMP. AND THE NEWSPAPER SECTOR WAS DOWN IN CIRCULATION BUT ONLY ABOUT 4% WHICH, FRANKLY, STEM IT IS BLEED AGO LITTLE BIT. SO IN TERMS OF AUDIENCE MEMBERS, 2011 WAS NOT GRIM.

>> Woodruff: SO LET'S TALK ABOUT SOMETHING WE FIND REALLY INTERESTING THEN. IN ONLINE NEWS YOU'RE SEEING SIGNIFICANT GROWTH. SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, SOMETHING LIKE 17%?

>> 17% IN TERMS OF UNIQUE AUDIENCE. ALL OF THE ACTION IS IN DIGITAL. DIGITAL REVENUES WERE UP ABOUT 23%. EVERYBODY KNOWS ABOUT ALL THE ACTIONS IN DIGITAL. THE HUGE QUESTION FOR THE NEWS INDUSTRY IS WHETHER THEY CAN MONETIZE THOSE EYEBALLS.

>> Woodruff: MAKE MONEY OFF OF IT.

>> AND WHETHER THE NEWS PART OF DIGITAL BECOMES THE PLACE WHERE ADVERTISERS GO.

>> Woodruff: ARE YOU SEEING IN HOW PEOPLE ARE GETTING THEIR NEWS ONLINE?

>> WELL, PEOPLE GET THEIR NEWS ONLINE FROM A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SOURCES. WE KNOW THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, A SMALL PART OR R ACTUALLY GETTING IT THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA CONTACTS

>> Woodruff: AND WE HAVE A CHART.

>> ALTHOUGH THERE WAS SOME SPECULATION THAT IN THE WORLD OF SPACE BOOK EVERYONE WAS GOING TO USE THEIR FRIEND AND MOTHER TO BE THEIR EDITOR. THAT HASN'T HAPPENED YET. ONLY 10% OF SOCIAL MEDIA USERS SAY THEY'RE VERY LIKELY TO FOLLOW THE NEWS RECOMMENDATIONS OF SOMEBODY THEY KNOW AND LIKE. THE REST OF THE WAY THAT PEOPLE GET TO ONLINE NEWS IS, FRANKLY, THROUGH A SERIES OF DIFFERENT PATHWAYS. SOME OF IT'S SEARCH, ALTHOUGH THAT'S LESSENED RECENTLY AND WE CAN TALK A BIT MORE ABOUT THAT SOME OF IT IS DIRECTLY TO WEB SITES, SOME OF IT IS THROUGH AGGREGATION SITES. SO PEOPLE ARE STILL FINDING THEIR WAY TO DIGITAL NEWS THROUGH A VARIETY OF PORTALS, NOT AS MUCH AS YOU MIGHT THINK YET ON THE SOCIAL MEDIA DESPITE GROWTH THERE.

>> Reporter: WE NOTICED THE PERCENTAGES ADDED UP TO A LITTLE MORE THAN 100. BUT ONCE THEY GET TO THESE SITES YOU'RE FINDING THEY'RE SPENDING MORE TIME THERE?

>> FOR ONE THING WE SHOULD SAY THE FACEBOOK PHENOMENON NONBY ITSELF IN TERMS OF THE AMOUNT OF TIME PEOPLE SPEND ON THAT SITE IS ABOUT SEVEN HOURS A MONTH WHICH IS FAR LARGER THAN ANYTHING ANY... NOW, THAT'S NOT ALL NEWS-RELATED ACTIVITY, OBVIOUSLY. THERE'S MORE ENGAGEMENT AND THERE'S MORE ENGAGEMENT THROUGH MOBILE AND MOBILE DEVICES AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEEN A POSITIVE SIGN RIGHT NOW FOR THE NEWS MEDIA.

>> Woodruff: SO FOR PEOPLE WHO... YOU SPECIFICALLY ASKED PEOPLE IF YOU HAVE A SMART PHONE IF YOU HAVE AN IPAD HOW MUCH DO YOU USE THOSE DEVICES

>> AND LET'S TALK ABOUT THE GROWTH JUST OF THOSE DEVICES. 44% OF AMERICANS HAVE NOW A SMART PHONE. 18% HAVE A TABLET. 27% OF ALL AMERICANS SAY THEY GET NEWS NOW THROUGH MOBILE DEVICES AND THE GOOD NEWS SO FAR IS THAT RATHER THAN REPLACING OTHER NEWS USE IT SEEMS TO BE ENHANCING THE EXPERIENCE. WE FIND THAT PEOPLE ARE USING MOBILE DEVICES TO MORE DIRECTLY ACCESS NEWS ORGANIZATIONS THROUGH EITHER APPS OR WEB SITES. THAT'S A POSITIVE SIGN. I'LL TELL YOU THAT LEGACY MEDIA PLATFORMS HOLD A LOT OF HOSPITAL MICHL THAT MOBILE AND PARTICULARLY THE PHONE WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT REVENUE SOURCE GOING FORWARD.

>> Woodruff: BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE USE THEIR SMART PHONE OR TABLET COMPUTER THEY'RE GOING TO TRADITIONAL NEWS SITES?

>> MANY ARE GOING TO TRADITIONAL NEWS SITES. THEY'RE DOING OTHER THINGS BUT WE HAVE FOUND FOR EXAMPLE THAT THAT N ONE OF OUR STUDIES MOBILE USERS WERE ABLE TO DRIVE TRAFFIC TO NEWSPAPER WEB SITES. THE CLASSIC LEGACY ORGANIZATION. SO RIGHT NOW THE NEWS THERE IS GOOD. HAVING SAID THAT FOR THE INDUSTRY ITSELF ALL THESE ADVANCES STILL POSE HUGE CHALLENGES. THERE NEED TO BE INVESTMENTS MADE FOR LEGACY NEWS ORGANIZATIONS TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO USE THESE MEDIA EFFECTIVELY. AND ALSO THE BIG TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES ARE STILL DOMINATING OUR DIGITAL LIFE AND ONLINE ADVERTISING.

>> Brown:.

>> Woodruff: YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT...

>> THE GOOGLES OF THE WORLD. EXACTLY.

>> Woodruff: JUST A LINE AT THE END ABOUT NEWSPAPERS. WHAT DO YOU SEE?

>> NEWSPAPERS REMAIN A VERY TROUBLED INDUSTRY. THE HARDEST HIT BY THE ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION. THE STUNNING STACK STATISTIC IS THAT IN 2011 FOR EVERY ONE DOLLAR THEY GAINED THEY LOST TEN IN PRINT. THAT'S NOT A TRAJECTORY FOR SUCCESS AND WE DID EXTRA WORK WITH THEM AND BASICALLY TALKED TO NEWSPAPER EXECUTIVES AND FOUND THAT MOST OF THEM NOW THE SINGLE BIGGEST OBSTACLE IS THE CULTURE CLASH INTERNALLY BETWEEN WHETHER THEY ARE A DIGITAL COMPANY AND WHETHER THEY ARE MORE STEEPED IN THE LEGACY TRADITION AND THAT HASN'T BEEN RESOLVED IN MANY CASES.

>> Woodruff: IN TERMS OF THEIR EMPLOYEES?

>> EMPLOYEES AND MANAGEMENT LEVELS, TOO. THERE'S WHAT WE CALL THE CULTURE WAR WITHIN THESE ORGANIZATIONS ABOUT HOW DIGITAL SHOULD WE BE? AND THE UNUSUAL THING IS AND THE CRUEL IRONY HERE IS THAT WHILE EVERYBODY INTELLECTUALLY KNOW IT IS FUTURE IS DIGITAL 85% OF REVENUES STILL COME FROM THE OLD DEAD TREE PRODUCTING AT THIS IS ERODING.

>> Woodruff: AND SOME OF THAT CLEARLY GENERATIONAL. THE PEOPLE USED TO PICKING UP THE NEWSPAPER IN THE MORNING.

>> YES, ALTHOUGH WITHIN THE STATS THEMSELVES NOT NECESSARILY.

>> Woodruff: JUST A QUICK WORD ABOUT BROADCAST, YOU SAID YOU SAW SOME PICKUP IN BROADCAST?

>> WE DID BOTH ON THE MORNING AND EVENING NETWORK PROGRAM WES SAW THE AUDIENCE INCREASE WHICH WAS A VERY POSITIVE SIGN. WE SAW UPTICKS IN LOCAL NEWS AND OBVIOUSLY WE WOULD FRANKLY EXPECT A BIG YEAR IN 2012 AND ON THE REVENUE SIDE, POLITICAL CAMPAIGNS DO WONDERS FOR THE BOTTOM LINE.

>> Woodruff: ALL OF US AT THE NEWSHOUR-- BECAUSE WE'RE A NEWS ORGANIZATION-- FASCINATED BY THIS AND I THINK MANY PEOPLE IN OUR AUDIENCE ARE, TOO. MARK JURKOWITZ, THANKS VERY MUCH.

>> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.

>> Brown: AND FINALLY, OUR SECOND MEDIA STORY: THE "DAILY DOWNLOAD." MARGARET WARNER TAKES US THROUGH IT.

>> Warner: IT'S BEEN A LIVELY WEEK IN POLITICS AND IT'S TIME TO TURN TO OUR REGULAR LOOK AT HOW THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN IS PLAYING OUT IN SOCIAL MEDIA AND ON THE WEB. FOR THAT WE'RE JOINED AGAIN BY TWO JOURNALISTS FROM THE NEW WEBSITE DAILY DOWNLOAD. LAUREN ASHBURN IS THE SITE'S EDITOR IN CHIEF, FORMERLY WITH "U.S.A. TODAY LIVE" AND GANNETT BROADCASTING. HOWARD KURTZ IS NEWSWEEK'S WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF AND HOST OF CNN'S "RELIABLE SOURCES." AND WELCOME BACK.

>> THANK YOU.

>> Warner: SO LET'S START WITH THE COP CAMPAIGN NEWS THIS WEEK, MITT ROMNEY SWEEPING ALL THREE PRIMARIES. NOW THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA, THE TENOR OF THE COVERAGE HAS BEEN REALLY ON ROMNEY AS THE ALL BUT INEVITABLE NOMINEE AND REALLY THE LIKELY MATCHUP WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SEEING AND READING ON THE CONSERVATIVE AND REPUBLICAN WEB SITES AND BLOGS?

>> I HAD THOUGHT, MARGARET, WITH THE PUNDITS BASICALLY SHOOING OR ATTEMPTING TO SHOO RICK SANTORUM OUT OF THE RACE THAT A HEARTY BAND OF HIS SUPPORTERS WOULD TAKE TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND DEMAND THAT'S NOT THE CASE BUT ON TWITTER THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF MESSAGES WERE IN FACT KIND OF DENIGRATING OR RIDICULING SANTORUM. ONE PERSON WROTE "BYE-BYE RICKY." AT PERSON WROTE "RICK SANTORUM STAYING IN THIS CAMPAIGN IS LIKE ME HANGING ON TO MY MEGAMILLIONS TICKET." SO HE'S NOT GETTING A LOT OF LOVE.

>> Warner: SO ARE YOU SEEING A SHIFT ON CERTAIN WEB SITES CALLING ON TROERPL GRACELY FLAW?

>> I HAVE EITHER SEEN PUNDITS AND COMMENTATORS CALLING HIM TO WITHDRAW OR SAYING IT'S WHAIR HE DOES BECAUSE WE ARE DECLARING THIS OVER AND HE CAN WIN HIS HOME STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA BUT LOTS OF LUCK.

>> I'VE ALSO SEEN TODAY ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE HEADING INTO THE EASTER WEEKEND THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ON TWITTER AND FACEBOOK ARE SAYING WELL, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU COME OUT OF THREE DAYS GOOD LUCK IN GAINING THE MOMENTUM AGAIN AND THERE'S REALLY A STRONG FEELING LIKE HE'S HURTING HIMSELF BY TAKING THE HOLIDAY.

>> ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT THAT SEEMS TO BE ATTRACTING A LOT OF ATTENTION IS THIS GENDER GAP THAT HAS BEEN REGISTERED BETWEEN PRESIDENT OBAMA AND MITT ROMNEY. I THINK GALLUP HAD IT AT SOMETHING LIKE 18 POINTS. YOU ALL HAD LOOKED AT THE A WEB SITE BOTH CAMPAIGNS ARE TRYING TO USE TO WOMEN VOTERS CALLED PINTEREST. WHAT IS PINTEREST.

>> WELL, YOU'RE INTERESTED IN PINNING. PINNING IS PUTTING PICTURES UP ON A VIRTUAL PHOTO BOARD. IT'S A NEW SOCIAL MEDIA WEB SITE AND YOU PIN THE PICTURES YOU LIKE AND THEY COULD BE FOOD.

>> SO IT'S POPULAR.

>> VERY POPULAR. 17.8 MILLION USERS, LOOK AT THE GRAPHIC HERE. MOST OF THEM, MARGARET, ARE FEMALE. MORE THAN 90%. I SAW ONE STATISTIC SAY IT WAS 97%.

>> THAT EXPLAINS WHY I DON'T QUITE GET IT. (LAUGHTER)

>> Warner: JUST NOW OR ALL THE TIME.

>> IT'S BEEN AROUND ABOUT THREE YEARS BUT LOOK AT THE GROWTH RATE, 52%.

>> AND THAT WAS IN FEBRUARY ALONE.

>> Warner: EXPLAIN HOW THIS WORKS.

>> WELL ANNE ROMNEY HAS A PICTURE OF MITT WITH THE GRANDCHILDREN, THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHER PICTURES OF HIM VERY CASUAL TO GET RID OF THE STIFF IMAGE THAT HE'S HAD.

>> READING TO GRANDCHILDREN AND THE KIND OF BEHIND-THE-SCENES FAMILY PHOTOS EASY FOR THOSE OF US IN THE NEWS BUSINESS TO DISMISS AS HOKEY BUT I THINK DOES SERVE TO SHOW US A DIFFERENT SIDE OF MITT ROMNEY AND WHO BETTER TO PROVIDE THAT THAN HIS LIFE.

>> AND ANOTHER BOARD SHE HAS, RECIPES. THIS RECIPE RIGHT HERE IS FOR BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP FROM HER SISTER-IN-LAW MARY. SO THEN DIFFERENT PEOPLE CAN POST COMMENTS UNDERNEATH THIS AND THEY CAN REPIN THESE PHOTOS TO THEIR WALL.

>> THE THING I LIKE ABOUT PINTEREST IS THE MOUTH WATERING PICTURES OF THE FOOD.

>> THAT'S IT. THAT'S WHAT THE GUY GETS.

>> Warner: BUT THEY'RE ALSO USING IT VERY IF I HAD VO PURPOSES? TO POST VIDEO.

>> YES, LOOK AT THIS VIDEO, WE'LL SHOW IT TO YOU IN ONE SECOND. IT'S AN AMAZING VIDEO OF ANNE ROMNEY'S LOVE LETTER TO HER HUSBAND ON THEIR ANNIVERSARY.

>> MY 16th BIRTHDAY PARTY WAS WHEN MITT AND I REALLY BECAME SORT OF AN ITEM AND WE'VE MAYBE BEEN DATING FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS BEFORE THAT BUT I THINK WE WERE STARTING TO FALL IN LOVE. SO AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR ROMANCE.

>> NO NETWORK WOULD AIR THAT IF IT WAS SUBMITED BY THE CAMPAIGN BUT YOU CAN CIRCUMVENT THE MAINSTREAM MEDIA BY GOING TO PINTEREST, REACHING WOMEN VOTERS AND BY THE WAY THERE'S A RECIPE FOR MITT'S MEATLOAF.

>> IT'S ACTUALLY MEATLOAF CAKES HE LOVES BUT EVERYONE'S CALLING IT MITT-LOAF.

>> I THINK IT APPEALS TO WOMEN VOTEERS.

>> NOW HOW IS THE OBAMA CAMPAIGN USING IT?

>> A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY. IT'S... ANNE ROMNEY... IT SEEMS TO BE MANAGED BY HER. IT'S VERY MUCH HER VOICE BUT THIS IS VERY ADVOCACY ORIENTED.

>> AND BARACK OBAMA'S NOT PERSONALLY DOING PINNING. IS HE ASKING MICHELLE.

>> I THINK HE'S BUSY RUNNING THE FREE WORLD BUT I COULD BE WRONG. SO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS WITHIN RIGHT HERE. THIS IS ONE OF THE BOARDS-- HE HAS ABOUT SEVEN RIGHT NOW-- THIS WAS JUST POSTED A FEW WEEKS AGO CALLED "FACES OF CHANGE." THIS IS A PICTURE OF A WOMAN WHOSE LIFE WAS SAVED BECAUSE OF THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT. AND SO THEY HAVE LOTS OF PICTURES OF WOMEN AND MEN UNDER THIS WHO HAVE BENEFITED FROM THE LEGISLATION AND THE WORK THAT... T ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE.

>> THERE ARE BEHIND-THE-SCENES PHOTOS OF THE PRESIDENT MEETING WITH ORDINARY VOTERS.

>> I HAVE ONE OF THOSE.

>> LET'S LOOK AT IT.

>> HERE WE GO. I'M NOT SURPRISED. I'M NOT SURPRISED THIS IS A TECHNOLOGICALLY SAVVY WHITE HOUSE THAT USES A LOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA, A LOT OF WEB SITES TO CONVEY THE MESSAGE VISUALLY AS WELL AS IN TEXT AND ISN'T THERE A CONTEST GOING ON.

>> IT'S INTERESTING, MARGARET AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS EARLIER HOW THEY'RE USING THIS SITE NOT JUST TO GIVE INFORMATION BUT TO GET INFORMATION FROM PEOPLE AND SO THIS RIGHT HERE WAS A CONTEST, WIN DINNER WITH THE OBAMAS. IF.

>> Warner: FOR A SMALL CONTRIBUTION?

>> SO YOU SEE THIS, CLICK ON THE LINK AND IT GOES www.barackobama.com AND IT SAYS "JOIN US, MAKE A DONATION AND YOU COULD WIN A FREE DINNER.

>> Woodruff: IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT WHEN IT COMES TO THE CULTURE OF THIS WEB SITE THAT WHAT THE ROMNEY CAMPAIGN IS DOING IS MORE IN KEEPING WITH THAT CULTURE?

>> VERY TRUE. WHAT I LOVE ABOUT PINTEREST-- AND I TRIED TO GET THIS GUY TO JOIN A LONG TIME AGO-- IS THAT IT'S VERY PICTURE ORIENTED AND THERE ARE NO ADS AND YOU CAN SEE PICTURES OF PARIS, FRANCE, YOU CAN SEE PICTURES OF PEOPLE'S FLOWERS. YOU CAN FEEL WHAT PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN IT'S NOT SO MUCH JOIN MY GROUP, GIVE ME MONEY.

>> WHAT ANNE ROMNEY IS DOING IS PAINTING A SOFTER AND MORE HUMAN PICTURE OF MITT ROMNEY WHICH IS PROBABLY WHAT HE NEEDS RIGHT NOW

>> SO TRYING TO GET AMERICA OR AT LEAST THESE WOMEN VOTERS TO SEE THE ROMNEY FAMILY THE WAY THEY SEE THE OBAMA FAMILY.

>> NOT JUST A CANDIDATE IN A SUIT

>> A STIFF CANDIDATE, RIGHT.

>> Warner: MORE TO COME NEXT TIME. THANK YOU BOTH, HOWIE KURTZ AND LAUREN ASH BURN.

>> Brown: MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS ARE ALSO USING PINTEREST AND THAT INCLUDES THE "NEWSHOUR." YOU CAN FIND A LINK TO OUR PINTEREST PAGE ON OUR WEBSITE.

>> Woodruff: AGAIN, THE MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS OF THE DAY: PRESIDENT OBAMA SIGNED LEGISLATION DESIGNED TO HELP SMALL BUSINESSES AND STARTUPS AND CREATE JOBS. THE SYRIAN MILITARY POUNDED REBELLIOUS CITIES, EVEN AS U.N. ENVOY KOFI ANNAN SAID A CEASE- FIRE IS SET FOR APRIL 12. AND A FEDERAL JUDGE IN NEW YORK SENTENCED THE NOTORIOUS RUSSIAN ARMS DEALER VIKTOR BOUT TO 25 YEARS IN PRISON. HE WAS CONVICTED OF TRYING TO SELL WEAPONS TO COLOMBIAN MILITANTS, TO ATTACK U.S. TROOPS. ONLINE, IT'S SCIENCE THURSDAY HARI SREENIVASAN EXPLAINS. HARI?

>> Sreenivasan: FIND OUT WHY ONE PROFESSOR CALLS THE SINGLE- CELLED ORGANISMS KNOWN AS SLIME MOLD, ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THINGS HE'S EVER SEEN. THAT STORY AND A SLIDESHOW ON THE COLORFUL WORLD OF SLIME MOLD ARE ON OUR SCIENCE PAGE. ON ART BEAT, WE EXPLORE THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARTIST ELIZABETH CATLETT, WHO DIED EARLIER THIS WEEK AT AGE 96. JEFF TALKED TO A CURATOR WHO KNEW CATLETT FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS. AND A REMINDER: MANY OF YOU WHO READ AND WRITE A SECOND LANGUAGE OFFERED TO JOIN THE NEWSHOUR TRANSLATION TEAM AS WE CAPTION AND SUBTITLE VIDEOS THIS POLITICAL CAMPAIGN SEASON. YOU CAN STILL SIGN UP. FIND DETAILS ON OUR HOMEPAGE ALL THAT AND MORE IS ON OUR WEB SITE: newshour.pbs.org. JEFF?

>> Brown: AND THAT'S THE "NEWSHOUR" FOR TONIGHT. I'M JEFFREY BROWN.

>> Woodruff: AND I'M JUDY WOODRUFF. WE'LL SEE YOU ONLINE AND AGAIN HERE TOMORROW EVENING WITH MARK SHIELDS AND RAMESH PONNURU, AMONG OTHERS. THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT. MAJOR FUNDING FOR THE PBS NEWSHOUR HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY:

>> CITI TURNS 200 THIS YEAR. IN THAT TIME, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME GOOD DAYS AND SOME DIFFICULT ONES. BUT THROUGH IT ALL, WE PERSEVERED. SUPPORTING SOME OF THE BIGGEST IDEAS IN MODERN HISTORY. SO WHY SHOULD OUR ANNIVERSARY MATTER TO YOU? BECAUSE FOR 200 YEARS, WE'VE BEEN HELPING IDEAS FROM AMBITION TO ACHIEVEMENT. AND THE NEXT GREAT IDEA COULD BE YOURS. AND BY THE ALFRED P. SLOAN FOUNDATION. SUPPORTING SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, AND IMPROVED ECONOMIC PERFORMANCE AND FINANCIAL LITERACY IN THE 21ST CENTURY. AND WITH THE ONGOING SUPPORT OF THESE INSTITUTIONS AND FOUNDATIONS. AND... THIS PROGRAM WAS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE CORPORATION FOR PUBLIC BROADCASTING. AND BY CONTRIBUTIONS TO YOUR PBS STATION FROM VIEWERS LIKE YOU. THANK YOU. Captioning sponsored by MacNEIL/LEHRER PRODUCTIONS Captioned by Media Access Group at WGBH access.wgbh.org