JOUR 503 - Mass Communication Law and Ethics

Three hours.
3 Credits

This core course in the master’s program in journalism provides aspiring journalists with a practical and substantive “knowledge-based” understanding of global media law – and its protections and constraints – along with various significant ethical problems, which confront today’s journalists, in general, and emerging integrated digital media journalists, in particular, who work within a developing world context. It examines major free speech principles and trends in U.S. and international media law and ethics. The course analyzes a wide range of issues and practical considerations pertaining to the First Amendment in the U.S. and related press freedoms and challenges abroad. Specifically, it may include the following areas: censorship, speech distinctions, emotional distress and physical harm, privacy, libel, newsgathering, reporter’s privilege, media and the courts, obscenity, indecency and violence, advertising (commercial speech), intellectual property (copyright and trademarks), and electronic media regulation.

Prerequisite(s) None
Co-Requisite(s) None
Offered FALL/SPRING