Journalism, law and ethics

The unit provides students with an opportunity for a critical engagement with contemporary scholarship on the legal and ethical contexts of news and long format journalistic production. Legal topics covered include the historical and geographical development of doctrines such as freedom of the press, the laws of defamation and contempt, professional confidentiality, freedom of information, copyright, censorship and freedom of expression and racial vilification. Examples of ethical concepts covered are; media accountability, cheque book journalism, codes of ethics and relationship to sources.