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Communication Law and Democracy

Communication Law and Democracy

Author(s): Roxanne Watson

Edition: 1

Copyright: 2026

Pages: 489

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Ebook

$85.00 USD

ISBN 9798319737588

Details Electronic Delivery EBOOK 180 days

Faculty Review Copy

This text is meant to give print journalists, broadcasters, photographers, public relations practitioners, advertisers, and those in government and the general public a basic understanding of mass communication law. 

It is not meant to be a substitute for the legal training or the comprehensive legal advice that only can come from a skilled lawyer. 

Its purpose is to offer students, in laymen’s terms, a concise, yet complete overview of the law that affects the mass media profession. Toward this end, and faced with the fact that many students don’t understand basic civics, it will start with a review of the purpose and origin of law, the foundation and basic tenets of American democracy, and an overview of the American legal system. Afterward, it will focus on the First Amendment and the boundaries of free expression as defined by the U.S. Courts before examining the various specific areas of media law. The U.S. Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution are included in the Appendix.

Students are reminded that the law changes daily as courts and legislative bodies across the country address the legal problems of our time. Therefore, students should pay attention to new developments in the law that will affect the accuracy and utility of this text.

Nevertheless, it is expected that students should understand enough of the law after studying the text to help them know when they are facing possible legal trouble, or more importantly, to help them avoid such trouble in the first place. Beyond that, for specific legal problems, they, as always, should seek advice from a lawyer

Acknowledgments 
Introduction 
Chapter 1 American Democracy and the Law
   Early Events That Shaped American Law
   The Enlightenment—Foundation of American Government
   Moving Toward a Government of, by, and for the People 
   Principles of Democracy
   Drafting the U.S. Constitution
   The Fight for Ratification 
   What’s in the Constitution: Types and Limitations of Power
   The Congress 
   How a Bill Becomes a Law 
   The Presidency 
Chapter 2 The American Legal System
   Seeking Truth and Interpreting the Law 
   A Dual Court System 
   The Federal Courts 
   The Anatomy of a Lawsuit 
     • Civil Suits
     • Appeals
     • Criminal Trials 
   Finding the Law 
   Briefing a Case 
    Bench-Bar-Press Guidelines
Chapter 3 The First Amendment: A Look at Speech and Press
   Protecting the Pursuit of Truth 
   A History of Censorship 
   Advocates of Free Expression 
   Early Suppression in America
   The First Amendment: Discovering the Framers’ Intent 
   Ways to Interpret the First Amendment Today
     • Absolutist Theory
     • Ad Hoc Balancing Theory 
     • Preferred Position Balancing Theory
     • Marketplace of Ideas Theory 
     • Access Theory 
     • Self-Realization Theory 
     • Meiklejohnian Theory 
    The Future of the First Amendment
Chapter 4 The Boundaries of Free Expression 
   The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 
   The Espionage and Sedition Acts of 1917 and 1918 
   The Clear and Present Danger Test 
   The Doctrine of Incorporation 
   More Speech, Not Less 
   The Smith Act of 1940 
   The Brandenburg Imminent and Likely Test
   The Strict Scrutiny, Intermediate Scrutiny, and Rational Basis Tests
   Forum Analysis 
   Unprotected Speech 
   Prior Restraint 
     • Near v. Minnesota
     • Pentagon Papers 
     • Hate Speech 
     • Symbolic Speech 
     • Compelled Speech 
     • Censoring Government Employees 
     • False Speech 
     • Taxation as Censorship 
     • Retaliatory Arrest 
     • Son of Sam Laws 
     • Grand Jury Testimony 
     • Elections
     • Internet 
     • Disturbing Images 
     • Distributing Literature
     • Immigration 
     • Foreign Organizations 
     • Gender Issues 
     • Signs
     • Protests, Solicitations and Picketing
     • Schools 
Chapter 5 Libel 
   The Value of Reputation
   Elements of Defamation
     • Defamation
     • Identification 
     • Publication
     • Damage 
     • Falsity
     • Fault 
   The New York Times Co. v. Sullivan and Public Officials
   The Impact of The New York Times Co. v. Sullivan Case
   Public Figures 
   Limited-Purpose Public Figures
   Businesses as Public Figures
      • Product Disparagement 
   Public Persons and the Passage of Time 
   Defenses to Libel 
     • Truth 
     • Summary Judgment 
     • Statute of Limitations 
     • Privilege 
     • Fair Comment and Criticism 
     • Opinion
     • Jurisdiction 
     • Section 230
     • Neutral Reportage
     • Wire Service Defense
     • Single Publication Rule
     • Libel-Proof Plaintiffs 
     •  Section 315 of the Federal Communications Commission Act
     • Consent 
     • Right of Reply
     • Retractions
     • Precautions 
    Infliction of Emotional Distress
Chapter 6 Invasion of Privacy 
    The Need to Be Let Alone 
    Sources of Privacy Law
    Contrasting Libel and Invasion of Privacy 
    The Growing Privacy Problem
      • Intrusion 
      • Disclosure of Private Facts 
      • Appropriation 
      • False Light 
   Privacy and the Internet
Chapter 7 Free Press/Fair Trial 
   When Constitutional Rights Collide
   Sheppard v. Maxwell 
   Seating an Impartial Jury 
      • Voir Dire 
      • Change of Venue 
      • Change of Veniremen 
      • Continuance 
      • Jury Admonition
      • Sequestration
   Restrictive Orders
   The Nebraska Press Association Test 
   Closed Courtrooms
   The Press-Enterprise Test 
   Challenging Closure 
   Accessing Court Records
   Electronic Records 
   Recording, Photographing and Televising Court Proceedings 
   New Technologies in the Courtroom 
   Bench-Bar-Press Guidelines
   Eliminating Prejudicial Reporting 
Chapter 8 Protection of Sources 
   The Need to Protect Sources 
   Failing to Keep a Promise—When Sources Sue 
   Branzburg v. Hayes 
   Other Sources of Protection 
   Contempt and the Collateral Bar Rule 
   Criminal Cases v. Civil Cases and Nonconfidential Information 
   Telephone Records
   State Shield Laws 
   Who Is a Reporter? 
   Efforts to Pass a Federal Shield Law 
   Zurcher v. Stanford Daily 
   The Privacy Protection Act
   Consider Alternatives 
Chapter 9 Open Records and Meetings 
   The Need for Information 
   The Freedom of Information Act 
   Internet Access to Information
   Using the Freedom of Information Act 
   Freedom of Information Act Exemptions 
   Freedom of Information Act Limitations 
     • Interviewing Government Officials
     • Executive Privilege 
     • The 1974 Privacy Act 
     • The Buckley Amendment and Clery Act 
     • The Federal Advisory Committee Act 
     • Criminal History Information 
     • The Federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act 
     •  The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
   Government in the Sunshine Act
   State Open Records and Meetings Laws
   Additional Problems of Information Access 
   Suggestions for Getting Information
   Sample Freedom of Information Request Letter 
Chapter 10 Advertising and Commercial Speech 
   The Evolution of Commercial Speech Protection
   Government Regulation of Advertising 
      • Printer’s Ink Statutes 
      • The Federal Trade Commission Act 

   The Commercial Speech Doctrine
   Compelled Commercial Speech 
   Corporations and Noncommercial Speech 
   Media Access 
   The Far Reach of the Federal Trade Commission
   FTC Methods to Stop False Advertising
     • Guides 
     • Publicity 
     • Substantiation 
     • Voluntary Compliance 
     • Consent Agreements 
     • Litigated Orders 
     • Corrective Advertising
     • Injunctions 
   Other Advertising Concerns 
     • Negligence 
     • Testimonials 
     • Mockups 
     • Telemarketing 
     • Internet and Social Media Advertising
     • Comparison Ads 
     • Bait-and-Switch Advertising 
   Advertiser Liability and Defenses Against False-Advertising Claims
   Other Federal Agencies That Regulate Advertising
     •  The Food and Drug Administration
     • The Federal Communications Commission 
     • The Securities and Exchange Commission 
     • The Alcohol and Tobacco, Tax and Trade Bureau 
     • The Federal Election Commission 
     • The U.S. Postal Service 
     • The Federal Reserve Board 
   The Lanham Act
   Self-regulation 
Chapter 11 Broadcasting and the Internet
   The Development of Radio
   First Amendment Concerns
   The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
   Licensing
   The Effects of Deregulation 
   Broadcast Station Ownership 
   The Fairness Doctrine 
   Personal Attack Rules and Political Editorial Rules 
   Broadcast Ascertainment Rules
   The Equal Time Rule
   The Candidate Access Rule 
   Candidate Advertising
   Children’s Programming
   Indecency 
   Violence on Television 
   The News, Hoaxes, and Video News Releases 
   Other Content Rules 
   Noncommercial Broadcasting 
   Cable Television 
   Direct Broadcast Satellites 
   Low Power Television 
   Satellite Radio
   Low Power FM Radio 
   The Internet 
Chapter 12 Intellectual Property 
   Protecting Creations of the Mind 
   The Copyright Act of 1790 
   Copyright Today 
   Copyright and the Internet 
   Copyright and Artificial Intelligence 

   Copyright and Music
   Duration of Copyright 
   Freelancers 
   Copyright Infringement 
   Unfair Competition 
   The Fair Use Defense 
   Other Defenses to Infringement 
   Trademarks
   Duration of Trademark Protection 
   Marks of Distinction
   Patents
Appendix A:  The Declaration of Independence:  A Transcription 
Appendix B:  The Constitution of the United States:  A Transcription
About the Author 
Bibliography 

Roxanne Watson

This text is meant to give print journalists, broadcasters, photographers, public relations practitioners, advertisers, and those in government and the general public a basic understanding of mass communication law. 

It is not meant to be a substitute for the legal training or the comprehensive legal advice that only can come from a skilled lawyer. 

Its purpose is to offer students, in laymen’s terms, a concise, yet complete overview of the law that affects the mass media profession. Toward this end, and faced with the fact that many students don’t understand basic civics, it will start with a review of the purpose and origin of law, the foundation and basic tenets of American democracy, and an overview of the American legal system. Afterward, it will focus on the First Amendment and the boundaries of free expression as defined by the U.S. Courts before examining the various specific areas of media law. The U.S. Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution are included in the Appendix.

Students are reminded that the law changes daily as courts and legislative bodies across the country address the legal problems of our time. Therefore, students should pay attention to new developments in the law that will affect the accuracy and utility of this text.

Nevertheless, it is expected that students should understand enough of the law after studying the text to help them know when they are facing possible legal trouble, or more importantly, to help them avoid such trouble in the first place. Beyond that, for specific legal problems, they, as always, should seek advice from a lawyer

Acknowledgments 
Introduction 
Chapter 1 American Democracy and the Law
   Early Events That Shaped American Law
   The Enlightenment—Foundation of American Government
   Moving Toward a Government of, by, and for the People 
   Principles of Democracy
   Drafting the U.S. Constitution
   The Fight for Ratification 
   What’s in the Constitution: Types and Limitations of Power
   The Congress 
   How a Bill Becomes a Law 
   The Presidency 
Chapter 2 The American Legal System
   Seeking Truth and Interpreting the Law 
   A Dual Court System 
   The Federal Courts 
   The Anatomy of a Lawsuit 
     • Civil Suits
     • Appeals
     • Criminal Trials 
   Finding the Law 
   Briefing a Case 
    Bench-Bar-Press Guidelines
Chapter 3 The First Amendment: A Look at Speech and Press
   Protecting the Pursuit of Truth 
   A History of Censorship 
   Advocates of Free Expression 
   Early Suppression in America
   The First Amendment: Discovering the Framers’ Intent 
   Ways to Interpret the First Amendment Today
     • Absolutist Theory
     • Ad Hoc Balancing Theory 
     • Preferred Position Balancing Theory
     • Marketplace of Ideas Theory 
     • Access Theory 
     • Self-Realization Theory 
     • Meiklejohnian Theory 
    The Future of the First Amendment
Chapter 4 The Boundaries of Free Expression 
   The Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798 
   The Espionage and Sedition Acts of 1917 and 1918 
   The Clear and Present Danger Test 
   The Doctrine of Incorporation 
   More Speech, Not Less 
   The Smith Act of 1940 
   The Brandenburg Imminent and Likely Test
   The Strict Scrutiny, Intermediate Scrutiny, and Rational Basis Tests
   Forum Analysis 
   Unprotected Speech 
   Prior Restraint 
     • Near v. Minnesota
     • Pentagon Papers 
     • Hate Speech 
     • Symbolic Speech 
     • Compelled Speech 
     • Censoring Government Employees 
     • False Speech 
     • Taxation as Censorship 
     • Retaliatory Arrest 
     • Son of Sam Laws 
     • Grand Jury Testimony 
     • Elections
     • Internet 
     • Disturbing Images 
     • Distributing Literature
     • Immigration 
     • Foreign Organizations 
     • Gender Issues 
     • Signs
     • Protests, Solicitations and Picketing
     • Schools 
Chapter 5 Libel 
   The Value of Reputation
   Elements of Defamation
     • Defamation
     • Identification 
     • Publication
     • Damage 
     • Falsity
     • Fault 
   The New York Times Co. v. Sullivan and Public Officials
   The Impact of The New York Times Co. v. Sullivan Case
   Public Figures 
   Limited-Purpose Public Figures
   Businesses as Public Figures
      • Product Disparagement 
   Public Persons and the Passage of Time 
   Defenses to Libel 
     • Truth 
     • Summary Judgment 
     • Statute of Limitations 
     • Privilege 
     • Fair Comment and Criticism 
     • Opinion
     • Jurisdiction 
     • Section 230
     • Neutral Reportage
     • Wire Service Defense
     • Single Publication Rule
     • Libel-Proof Plaintiffs 
     •  Section 315 of the Federal Communications Commission Act
     • Consent 
     • Right of Reply
     • Retractions
     • Precautions 
    Infliction of Emotional Distress
Chapter 6 Invasion of Privacy 
    The Need to Be Let Alone 
    Sources of Privacy Law
    Contrasting Libel and Invasion of Privacy 
    The Growing Privacy Problem
      • Intrusion 
      • Disclosure of Private Facts 
      • Appropriation 
      • False Light 
   Privacy and the Internet
Chapter 7 Free Press/Fair Trial 
   When Constitutional Rights Collide
   Sheppard v. Maxwell 
   Seating an Impartial Jury 
      • Voir Dire 
      • Change of Venue 
      • Change of Veniremen 
      • Continuance 
      • Jury Admonition
      • Sequestration
   Restrictive Orders
   The Nebraska Press Association Test 
   Closed Courtrooms
   The Press-Enterprise Test 
   Challenging Closure 
   Accessing Court Records
   Electronic Records 
   Recording, Photographing and Televising Court Proceedings 
   New Technologies in the Courtroom 
   Bench-Bar-Press Guidelines
   Eliminating Prejudicial Reporting 
Chapter 8 Protection of Sources 
   The Need to Protect Sources 
   Failing to Keep a Promise—When Sources Sue 
   Branzburg v. Hayes 
   Other Sources of Protection 
   Contempt and the Collateral Bar Rule 
   Criminal Cases v. Civil Cases and Nonconfidential Information 
   Telephone Records
   State Shield Laws 
   Who Is a Reporter? 
   Efforts to Pass a Federal Shield Law 
   Zurcher v. Stanford Daily 
   The Privacy Protection Act
   Consider Alternatives 
Chapter 9 Open Records and Meetings 
   The Need for Information 
   The Freedom of Information Act 
   Internet Access to Information
   Using the Freedom of Information Act 
   Freedom of Information Act Exemptions 
   Freedom of Information Act Limitations 
     • Interviewing Government Officials
     • Executive Privilege 
     • The 1974 Privacy Act 
     • The Buckley Amendment and Clery Act 
     • The Federal Advisory Committee Act 
     • Criminal History Information 
     • The Federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act 
     •  The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
   Government in the Sunshine Act
   State Open Records and Meetings Laws
   Additional Problems of Information Access 
   Suggestions for Getting Information
   Sample Freedom of Information Request Letter 
Chapter 10 Advertising and Commercial Speech 
   The Evolution of Commercial Speech Protection
   Government Regulation of Advertising 
      • Printer’s Ink Statutes 
      • The Federal Trade Commission Act 

   The Commercial Speech Doctrine
   Compelled Commercial Speech 
   Corporations and Noncommercial Speech 
   Media Access 
   The Far Reach of the Federal Trade Commission
   FTC Methods to Stop False Advertising
     • Guides 
     • Publicity 
     • Substantiation 
     • Voluntary Compliance 
     • Consent Agreements 
     • Litigated Orders 
     • Corrective Advertising
     • Injunctions 
   Other Advertising Concerns 
     • Negligence 
     • Testimonials 
     • Mockups 
     • Telemarketing 
     • Internet and Social Media Advertising
     • Comparison Ads 
     • Bait-and-Switch Advertising 
   Advertiser Liability and Defenses Against False-Advertising Claims
   Other Federal Agencies That Regulate Advertising
     •  The Food and Drug Administration
     • The Federal Communications Commission 
     • The Securities and Exchange Commission 
     • The Alcohol and Tobacco, Tax and Trade Bureau 
     • The Federal Election Commission 
     • The U.S. Postal Service 
     • The Federal Reserve Board 
   The Lanham Act
   Self-regulation 
Chapter 11 Broadcasting and the Internet
   The Development of Radio
   First Amendment Concerns
   The Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
   Licensing
   The Effects of Deregulation 
   Broadcast Station Ownership 
   The Fairness Doctrine 
   Personal Attack Rules and Political Editorial Rules 
   Broadcast Ascertainment Rules
   The Equal Time Rule
   The Candidate Access Rule 
   Candidate Advertising
   Children’s Programming
   Indecency 
   Violence on Television 
   The News, Hoaxes, and Video News Releases 
   Other Content Rules 
   Noncommercial Broadcasting 
   Cable Television 
   Direct Broadcast Satellites 
   Low Power Television 
   Satellite Radio
   Low Power FM Radio 
   The Internet 
Chapter 12 Intellectual Property 
   Protecting Creations of the Mind 
   The Copyright Act of 1790 
   Copyright Today 
   Copyright and the Internet 
   Copyright and Artificial Intelligence 

   Copyright and Music
   Duration of Copyright 
   Freelancers 
   Copyright Infringement 
   Unfair Competition 
   The Fair Use Defense 
   Other Defenses to Infringement 
   Trademarks
   Duration of Trademark Protection 
   Marks of Distinction
   Patents
Appendix A:  The Declaration of Independence:  A Transcription 
Appendix B:  The Constitution of the United States:  A Transcription
About the Author 
Bibliography 

Roxanne Watson
Roxanne Watson