Mark M. Hancock gives the best description and easily understood info about model releases for photojournalists that I’ve seen yet.  This is definitely worth a read.

The biggest benefit of a signed model release is the subjects’ knowledge they signed a release. In other words, once the subject signs the release, they’re aware it exists and aren’t going to try to sue because they know they signed it.

read the whole article at PhotoJournalism: Get model releases.

What’s been your experience with or without model releases?