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Law of Mass Communication


Course Description

First Amendment principles and communication law affecting print, telecommunications, advertising, and public relations.

Additional Requirements for Graduate Students:
Evaluation of graduate students differs significantly from that of undergraduate students. Not only will graduate students be assigned more readings and additional projects, they will also be graded with higher expectations than undergraduate students. Specifically, graduate students will be assigned an additional research or applied project depending upon the discretion of the instructor. Research projects may involve secondary research reviews and synthesis, whereas primary research studies will involve collection and analysis of data. Applied projects will consist of an original professional-level project delivered as a written report and/or oral presentation.


Athena Title

Law of Mass Communication


Equivalent Courses

Not open to students with credit in JRLC 5040H, JRLC 5040 or JRLC 7040


Non-Traditional Format

This course will be taught 95% or more online.


Prerequisite

ADPR 3100 or ADPR 3100H or ADPR 3850 or ADPR 3850H or JOUR 3030 or JOUR 3030H or EMST 3010 or EMST 3010H


Grading System

A - F (Traditional)


Course Objectives

To acquire practical legal knowledge to help practitioners protect themselves and to use the law to serve their professional goals; To understand judicial reasoning and constitutional tools; To apply legal principles, law, and reasoning to real and hypothetical cases involving the media and media professions.


Topical Outline

First Amendment purposes Prior restraints Libel Obscenity Privacy Copyright Commercial speech Access to information Telecommunications regulations