Gideon hands Hotch a newspaper in the lobby of the courthouse. When Hotch turns it over to read the headline, the viewer can briefly see the title of the paper - "New York Quest," not New York Ledger, which is the fictional NY newspaper of choice for most shows set in NYC. The format and design of both fictional papers is meant to emulate a real newspaper, the New York Post.
In 1976, Rupert Murdoch purchased the New York Post, and it was the Post under his management that sensationalized the Son of Sam murders during the summer of 1977. The same Son of Sam frequently cited in this episode in regards to press coverage (from the New York Quest in this episode) and mass panic.
The episode's opening quote is later reused in the novel Jump Cut.