Rest of Year Today: Law II

Rest of Year Today: Law II 4/10: Ethics

Rest of Year Today: Law II 4/10: Ethics 4/17, 4/27, 5/1: Public Relations

Rest of Year Today: Law II 4/10: Ethics 4/17, 4/27, 5/1: Public Relations 5/8: Final class!

There is no MOAT in Journalism… Sorry David

Things we won’t get to Media bias Covering public meetings Media convergence Statistics (sob)

Libel

What is libel?

What is libel? Libel: the damage to a person’s reputation caused by making the person an object of hatred, contempt or ridicule in the eyes of a substantial and respectable group Dictionary: “Defamation by written or printed words, pictures or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures…”

What is libel? Libel: the damage to a person’s reputation caused by making the person an object of hatred, contempt or ridicule in the eyes of a substantial and respectable group Dictionary: “Defamation by written or printed words, pictures or in any form other than by spoken words or gestures…” Spoken word defamation is “slander”

How do courts determine?

How do courts determine? Did it damage reputation? Was the accusation false? Published with “actual malice”?

defenses

defenses The truth Privilege: absolute and qualified Fair comment and criticism

defenses The truth Privilege: absolute and qualified Fair comment and criticism And consent: did they say you could print/broadcast that?

Print it or pull it? Take quiz on Page 141 of Inside Reporting

Invasion of privacy

Invasion of privacy Violating someone’s right to be left alone

Invasion of privacy Violating someone’s right to be left alone Courts do recognize the right to cover newsworthy situations… so you can report on private citizens such as George Zimmerman

Types of invasion of privacy Intruding into private areas to get story or video: trespassing, putting secret camera on private property, going through garbage, hacking phones/computers/facebook

Types of invasion of privacy Intruding into private areas to get story or video: trespassing, putting secret camera on private property, going through garbage, hacking phones/computers/facebook Portray someone in ‘false light’

Teenage rappers terrorizing downtown shoppers

Types of invasion of privacy Intruding into private areas to get story or video: trespassing, putting secret camera on private property, going through garbage, hacking phones/computers/facebook Portray someone in ‘false light’ Disclosing something about a person that while true, shows them in highly offensive manner: picking nose in public, hemorrhoids, etc.

Protecting your sources

Protecting your sources Courts have determined in most cases you have a right to protect your confidential sources

Protecting your sources Courts have determined in most cases you have a right to protect your confidential sources Most states including Florida have “shield” laws: protects you against testifying. But Feds do not.

Protecting your sources Courts have determined in most cases you have a right to protect your confidential sources Most states including Florida have “shield” laws: protects you against testifying. But Feds do not. However, where there is a grand jury in a criminal case you may not be able to keep sources secret

Access to courts Can a judge close his/her courtroom to the media?

Access to courts Can a judge close his/her courtroom to the media? Only when there is an “overriding” interest to justify it

Access to courts Can a judge close his/her courtroom to the media? Only when there is an “overriding” interest to justify it Judges may tell you to not publish names of jurors in controversial cases

Access to courts Can a judge close his/her courtroom to the media? Only when there is an “overriding” interest to justify it Judges may tell you to not publish names of jurors in controversial cases Can you have cameras in courts?

Access to courts Can a judge close his/her courtroom to the media? Only when there is an “overriding” interest to justify it Judges may tell you to not publish names of jurors in controversial cases Can you have cameras in courts? 47 states allow it… SCOTUS does not!

Copyright law

Copyright Legal protection for all forms of creative expression: stories, books, images, songs, websites

Copyright Legal protection for all forms of creative expression: stories, books, images, songs, websites You get that legal protection for varying lengths of time (minimum of 70 years) and then it become “public domain”

Copyright Legal protection for all forms of creative expression: stories, books, images, songs, websites You get that legal protection for varying lengths of time (minimum of 70 years) and then it become “public domain” You can reprint small excerpts of books or song if you’re doing a review or a story about a controversy… a sentence or two tops

Copyright Legal protection for all forms of creative expression: stories, books, images, songs, websites You get that legal protection for varying lengths of time (minimum of 70 years) and then it become “public domain” You can reprint small excerpts of books or song if you’re doing a review or a story about a controversy… a sentence or two tops Just don’t diminish the value of work

obscenity Is there anything you can print/say that will get you in legal trouble?

obscenity Is there anything you can print/say that will get you in legal trouble? Most of the restrictions are up to the publication and the Federal Communications Commission (which regulates broadcast…but not cable)

obscenity Is there anything you can print/say that will get you in legal trouble? Most of the restrictions are up to the publication and the Federal Communications Commission (which regulates broadcast…but not cable) What about student newspapers?

obscenity Is there anything you can print/say that will get you in legal trouble? Most of the restrictions are up to the publication and the Federal Communications Commission (which regulates broadcast…but not cable) What about student newspapers? At private schools like LAF, administrators have basically complete control. At public schools, depends on precedent and whether it’s high school or college.

Assignment 4/10 Pages 329-344 “Telling the Story” Re-read pages 146-149 “Inside Reporting”

Assignment 4/10 Pages 329-344 “Telling the Story” Re-read pages 146-149 “Inside Reporting” Take the ethics survey on pages 150-151 of “Inside Reporting.” Will not be graded.

Assignment 4/10 Pages 329-344 “Telling the Story” Re-read pages 146-149 “Inside Reporting” Take the ethics survey on pages 150-151 of “Inside Reporting.” Will not be graded. Update your blogs. Post your ABC 7 story and incorporate my edits. Add one photo and a cutline to your story. I’ll post them on my page so you can grab from there.