LAW 777 Media and Communications Law & Policy
This course will examine major law and policy issues relating to the communications media, including newspapers, broadcast television and radio, cable, and the Internet. Topics will include the law governing defamation, indecency, invasions of privacy, access to information, national security reporting, protection of journalistic sources, political speech, and government regulation of electronic media. In addition to the relevant constitutional, common, statutory, and regulatory law, we will discuss real-world examples arising from the practice of newsgathering and dissemination, as well as a number of issues concerning international freedom of expression. The course will also pay particular attention to the application of current law to Internet speech and social media. First Amendment is not a required prerequisite for this course, though the course will touch on a number of Speech and Press Clause-related constitutional issues. Students will be expected to be familiar with basic intentional torts concepts for purposes of the "constitutional torts" portion of the course (i.e., defamation, privacy, appropriation, and the right to publicity).