Media Law
Law 765: This course will explore issues relating to the mass media, including print, broadcast, cable and Internet communications. The course will consider constitutional issues such as the extent of First Amendment protection for the media and nonconstitutional issues such as protection available to the press under state shield laws. Specific topics that will be covered include government efforts to prevent publication of national security information, government censorship of offensive speech, press rights of access to information, balancing the rights of criminal defendants to a fair trial against the public’s right to know, protection for confidential sources, the power of the Federal Communications to regulate broadcast speech and tort liability of the media. This course also is taught under the name Communications Law. Students who have previously successfully completed the course in Communications Law may not enroll in Media Law.Required Textbooks
Franklin, Anderson & Lidsky, Cases and Materials: Mass Media Law,
Foundation Press, 7th ed., ISBN-13: 978-15877-8773-7
Franklin, Anderson & Lidsky, 2009 Supplement to Cases and Materials: Mass Media Law, ISBN-13: 978-15994-1686-1
Note: Both parts (Part One and Part Two) of the course review are now posted under Exam Review Materials below.
Syllabus
Group Assignment Calendar
Additional Cases
Kasky v. Nike, Inc.
Citizens United v. FEC (includes background material, lower court opinion, and excerpts from Supreme Court briefs)
United States v. Stevens
O'Grady v. Superior Court
ACLU v. Department of Defense
Other Class Materials
Tort Actions
Federal Wiretap Statute
Press-Enterprise II Standard
Freedom of Information Act
Federal Free Flow of Information Act of 2009 (passed in the House)
White House Seeks to Weaken Media Shield Bill
Washington State Shield Law (2007)
Innocence Project Blog
Innocence Project Website
Distribution Hypotheticals (Assignment 11)
First Amendment Analysis of Government Media
FCC - Obscenity, Indecency and Profanity FAQ
FCC Consumer Facts - Blocking Objectionable Programming
Statutes and Rules on Candidate Appearances & Advertising
Model Rule of Professional Conduct 3.6
Trailer for "Hillary: The Movie"
Unprotected Speech Categories
Balancing in First Amendment Analysis
New York Times v. Sullivan advertisement (picture and text)
New York Times v. Sullivan Advertisement (text)
Legal Issues Related to Bloggers
Golan v. Holder
Online Defamation Law
Privacy
Section 230 Protection
Intellectual Property
Bloggers' Rights
Supreme Court Watch
Jeffrey Toobin - Colbert Report - Citizens United
The Word - Colbert Report - Citizens United
Exam Review Materials
General Memo on Improving Exam Performance
2009 Media Law Review - Part One
2009 Media Law Review - Part Two
Student Questions Answered 2009
Media Law Examinations
Media Law Answer Sheets
Related Links
http://www.rcfp.org/handbook/
http://www.splc.org/default.asp
http://www.firstamendmentcenter.org/
http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment01/
http://www.law.cornell.edu/topics/first_amendment.html
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/media_law_prof_blog/
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/firstamendment/firstamendment.htm
National Freedom of Information Coalition
WikiFOIA
The FOIA blog
http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/firstamendment/faresources/resources.htm
http://www.oyez.org
http://www.supremecourtus.gov/
http://www.thefirstamendment.org/
http://archive.aclu.org/library/pbp10.html
http://www.fepproject.org/
http://www.wisconsinrighttolife.org/BeFair.htm
Tornillo