Legal Issues in Media and Publishing

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2016:

170 hours

Admission to the Graduate Diploma in Publishing and Communications (Advanced), Master of Publishing and Communications, Master of Creative Writing, Publishing and Editing, Master of Global Media Communication, Master of Journalism, or Master of Arts in Professional and Applied Ethics.

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For the purposes of considering request for Reasonable Adjustments under the disability Standards for Education (Cwth 2005), and Students Experiencing Academic Disadvantage Policy, academic requirements for this subject are articulated in the Subject Description, Subject Objectives, Generic Skills and Assessment Requirements of this entry.

The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the disability support scheme can be found at the Disability Liaison Unit website: http://www.services.unimelb.edu.au/disability/

This subject addresses ethical issues and legal constraints involved in publishing for print and digital media. It will review existing ethical codes and the mechanisms established to police them, as well as offering an overview of how publishing practices are shaped by legislative provisions relating to such matters as intellectual property, privacy, defamation and respect for cultural differences. On successfully completing this subject, students will have gained an understanding of a wide range of ethical and legal considerations.

• be familiar with standard media and publishing industry practices and codes of conduct as they pertain to print and digital publishing;
• develop a strong understanding of the respective roles of editors, publishers and legal professionals in dealing with ethical and legal issues;
• understand the impact on media and publishing practice of laws pertaining to such matters as intellectual property, privacy, defamation and respecting cultural differences;
• be familiar with the issues involved in recent high-profile cases where standards have been breached; and
• demonstrate an ability to apply ethical and legal knowledge to their own media and publishing practice.

2000 word defamation and contempt assignment 40% (due mid-semester), and final 3000 word essay 60% (due in the examination period).

Students are required to attend a minimum of 80% of classes in order to pass this subject.

Subject readings will be available.

• The Journalist's Guide to Media Law: 5th edition (Mark Pearson and Mark Polden)

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.

• have high-level written and oral communication skills through contribution to class discussions and the completion of assignments;
• have a capacity for effective teamwork through group discussions;
• have acquired skills in cultural and ethical understanding of the cultural role of books and readings and the responsibilities of publishers;
• have acquired skills in research through the preparation of class papers and assignments, including the use of online as well as print-based materials;
• have acquired skills in time management and planning through managing workloads for recommended reading, tutorial presentations and assessment requirements;
• have a capacity for critical thinking through the use of readings and discussion to develop an understanding of the considerations that underpin law and ethics; and
• have a capacity for theoretical analysis through engagement with a range of texts that offer different perspectives on publishing as a component of the wider field of cultural practices.