MPJO-793 Media Law for Journalists

Bruce Brown

Can I secretly tape this call? Am I going to be guilty of libel if I publish that? Do I ditch my notes if I am worried about a possible subpoena from a prosecutor? Can I be sued by a source for being unclear about the focus of my story? Will my website's news aggregation feature make me a copyright delinquent? As journalists increasingly become entrepreneurs who publish their own websites and freelance without a newsroom lawyer behind them, knowledge of the fundamentals of media law is more important than ever. This course is designed to provide a practical background in this essential area, with a focus on the legal skills needed in investigative reporting to help reporters go on the offensive (through the use of FOIA and other kinds of access litigation) while at the same time teaching them to play defense when a subject threatens court action.

Credits: 3

Prerequisites: None

Course syllabi
The following syllabi may help you learn more about this course (login required):

Spring '11: Brown B (file download)

Additional syllabi may be available in prior academic years.

Other academic years
There is information about this course number in other academic years:

• 2011-2012 Fall and Spring
• 2012-2013 Fall and Spring
• 2013-2014 Fall and Spring

More information
Look for this course in the schedule of classes.

The academic department web site for this program may provide other details about this course.