A new website from the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University is designed to connect reporters and editors with experts in the professions, activist groups, politics, commerce and government so reporters can follow up with their own reporting and writing.

The site emphasizes the importance of asking questions because "the ability to ask appropriate questions comes only with an understanding of the subject at hand. When experts help with questions and background, they also help deepen the reporter's knowledge of the issue ... targeted, insightful questions are typically more difficult for public officials, candidates and others in public life to dodge, mislead or even lie about."

Users can browse by topic, although this process has a few glitches. For example, clicking on "Environment" brings up the "Education" topic. Topic options include:

• Economy
• Education
• Elections
• Employment
• Foreign Policy
• Health
• Legal System
• News Media
• Politics
• Prison
• Terrorism

Although the Environment link is not working from the Browse by Topic feature, visitors can access the environmental questions from the top page. The questions featured there are:

• Climate change, natural resources, water shortage and biodiversity conservation are great problem areas that will determine how life on this planet survives. What does it take to get reporters to cover them?
• A common perception is that George W. Bush has run a stealth campaign to reverse the environmental progress of earlier administrations. The question is, is that correct or not?
• Two questions here: First, politics aside, what is the status of global warming. And second, what are the politics of global warming?

A discussions section provides a forum for exchanging ideas and information. Registration is required for those who choose to post comments on the Web site. Nieman says it does not monitor, edit, or control the information or materials posted to this section. By posting information or material, participants give up any proprietary rights to the information or material. Any of it may be copied and distributed by others without permission and may turn up in search engines.