This thoroughly updated classic textbook provides an overview of communication and media law, including the most current legal developments. It explains laws affecting the daily work of writers, broadcasters, public relations practitioners, photographers, bloggers and other public communicators. By outlining statutes and cases in an accessible manner, even to students studying law for the first time, the authors ensure that readers acquire a firm grasp of the legal issues affecting the media. The book examines legal topics such as libel, privacy, intellectual property, obscenity and access to information, considering the development and current standing of relevant laws and important cases. It examines how these laws affect public, political and commercial communication. The 13th edition covers contemporary U.S. Supreme Court cases, including the true threats case Counterman v. Colorado, the Andy Warhol fair use case and the Jack Daniel's trademark parody case. It also presents the Biden administration's revision of policy on the use of subpoenas and search warrants to uncover reporters' confidential sources along with the gag orders imposed by courts handling criminal and civil trials in which Donald Trump is a defendant. Further cases explored include the attacks by legislatures against the LGBTQ community, exemplified by a Tennessee law banning drag performances, and the emerging issues presented by artificial intelligence and the content moderation policies of social media platforms. The Law of Public Communication is an ideal core textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in communication law and mass media law. A test bank for instructors is available at www.routledge.com/9781032676388

The eleventh edition of this classic textbook provides an overview of communication and media law that includes the most current legal developments. It explains the laws affecting the daily work of writers, broadcasters, PR practitioners, photographers and other public communicators. By providing statutes and cases in an accessible manner, even to students studying law for the first time, the authors ensure that students will acquire a firm grasp of the legal issues affecting the media. This new edition features discussions of hot topics such as the prosecution of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange for Espionage Act violations, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Iancu v. Brunetti addressing the registration of offensive trademarks, revenge porn, FTC guidelines on social media influencers and efforts by social media platforms to develop coherent approaches to misinformation. The Law of Public Communication is an ideal core textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in communication law and mass media law. A downloadable test bank is available for instructors at www.routledge.com/9780367476793.

The Law of Public Communication provides an overview of media law that includes the most current legal developments today. It explains the laws affecting the daily work of writers, broadcasters, advertisers, cable operators, Internet service providers, public relations practitioners, photographers, bloggers, and other public communicators. Authors Kent Middleton and William Lee take students through the basic legal principles and methods of analysis that allows students to study and keep abreast of the rapidly changing field of public communication. By presenting statutes and cases in a cohesive manner that is understandable, even to students studying law for the first time, the authors ensure that students will acquire a firm grasp of the legal issues affecting the media. This 2016 Update brings the Ninth Edition up to date with the most recent cases and examples effecting media professionals and public communicators. New topics include Supreme Court decisions on internet harassment and the streaming company Aereo, the FCC’s efforts to reclassify broadband providers as telecommunication services, court cases dealing publicity rights for celebrity athletes in video games, and the recent presidential executive order regarding new government information sources.