Media Law: A Guide to Understanding Mass Communication Law

Acknowledgments 
Introduction 

Chapter 1 The Purpose, Origin, and Types of Law 
The Need for Order 
Law, Ethics, and Morality 
Systems of Law 
Common Law 
Equity Law 
Statutory Law 
Constitutional Law 
Administrative Law 
Executive Orders 
Areas of Law 

Chapter 2 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 3 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 4 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 5 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 6 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 7 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 8 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 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 9 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 10 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 11 Obscenity 
Defining Sexual Expression 
The Problem with Obscenity 
Early Regulation of Sexual Expression 
The Miller Test 
Variable Obscenity 
Child Pornography 
Sexting 
Other Ways to Regulate Obscenity 
• Postal Regulations 
• Film Censorship and Ratings Systems 
• Internet Filters 
• Withholding Government Grants 
• Nuisance Laws 
• Zoning Ordinances 
Broadcast Indecency 
Cable Indecency 
Violence 

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 

Chapter 13 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) 
• The Federal Election Commission 
• The Federal Reserve Board 
The Lanham Act 
Self-regulation 

Chapter 14 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 

Appendix A: The Declaration of Independence: A Transcription 

Appendix B: The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription 

Bibliography 
About the Author 
Index