Law for Journalists

A collection of notes from my Journalism Law lectures. It covers what laws you need to be aware of as a journalist in order to avoid court cases for offences such as libel, copyright and confidentiality.

An Introduction to Essential Law for Journalists
(03/10/2010)
I look why law is so important for journalists to know if they want to protect themselves from getting into trouble, and to ensure they make good quality journalism.
I also take a quick look at defamation and the difference between Criminal and Civil law.
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Defamation and my visit to Winchester Courts
(18/10/2010)
I explain defamation, which includes a brief look at libel and privilege. I also look at whether you can record court events, and also tell you about my first trip to Winchester Courts.
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Copyright Law
(23/10/2010)
Guest Lecturer (and the former 'Head of Copyright' at the BBC) came to Winchester University, and explained some important aspects of Copyright
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Qualified Privilege
(23/10/2010)
I look at how journalists benefit from Qualified Pirvilege, and explain how you can avoid a libel case. I also go through 'Reynolds 10 point test'.
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Confidentiality
(31/10/2010)
This blog provides an in-depth look at confidentiality and how it can sometimes be the difference between a good and bad journalist. This blog also looks at Section 8 of the Human Rights Act, injunctions, consent, and i explore a few example cases.
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Copyright Law Part 2
(03/11/2010)
A more in-depth look at Copyright, which also includes how a journalists work is protected. Also looked at in this blog is intellectual property, royalty and fair dealing.
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Investigative Journalism
(10/11/2010)
Notes on investigative journalism, including example cases. I also look at subterfuge, and the evidence gap.
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The Freedom of Information Act (FOI)
(17/11/2010)
The Freedom of Information Act enables journalists to request (and receive) certain information and data from the public sector. I look at how you can use the FOI to your advantage to get news stories.
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NUJ Code of Conduct
(12/12/2010)
A brief look at 4 different codes of conduct that a journalist could be expected to follow. In this blog I
particularly focus on NUJ (National Union of Journalists).