Law of Public Communication

Kent R. Middleton is Professor of journalism at the University of Georgia. William E. Lee is Professor of journalism at the University of Georgia.

In this Section: 1. Brief Table of Contents 2. Full Table of Contents   1. Brief Table of Contents   Chapter 1: Public Communication and the Law 
Chapter 2: The First Amendment 
Chapter 3: Methods of Control 
Chapter 4: Libel
Chapter 5: Privacy 
Chapter 6: Intellectual Property 
Chapter 7: Political Speech 
Chapter 8: Commercial Speech
Chapter 9: Obscenity and Indecency 
Chapter 10: The Media and the Judiciary 
Chapter 11: Protection of News Sources, Notes, and Recordings 
Chapter 12: Access to Information     2. Full Table of Contents  Chapter 1: Public Communication and the Law 
The Sources of Law 
The Courts
The Litigation Process: Civil and Criminal
Working with the Law
Limitations of Law    Chapter 2: The First Amendment 
Theory of Freedom of Expression 
Regulating Expression 
Tests 
The Hierarchy of Protected Expression
Who Is Protected?    Chapter 3: Methods of Control 
Prior Restraints and Postpublication Punishment 
Content-Neutral Regulations    Chapter 4: Libel
Libel Terminology
The Plaintiff 
The Plaintiff’s Burden of Proof 
The Defendant’s Case 
Preventing Libel Suits 
Ideas for Reform 
 
Chapter 5: Privacy 
Private Facts 
Intrusion and Trespass 
False Light 
Commercialization 
Emotional Distress and Personal Injury    Chapter 6: Intellectual Property 
Copyright 
Unfair Competition    Chapter 7: Political Speech 
Ballot Propositions and Other Public Issues 
Elections 
Regulation of Political Candidate Broadcast Programming 
Lobbying: The Right to Petition    Chapter 8: Commercial Speech 
First Amendment and Advertising 
Unfair and Deceptive Advertising 
Federal Remedies 
Other Federal Regulations 
Media’s Right to Refuse Advertising 
Self-Regulation 
Securities Transactions   Chapter 9: Obscenity and Indecency 
Obscenity 
Indecency 
Violent Pornography 
Controlling Nonobscene Sexual Expression   Chapter 10: The Media and the Judiciary 
Defining Jury Bias 
Remedies for Prejudicial Publicity 
Controlling Conduct in Court 
Controlling Prejudicial Publicity 
Contempt Power    Chapter 11: Protection of News Sources, Notes, and Recordings 
Testimonial Privileges
Protection under the First Amendment 
A Federal Common-Law Privilege?
Protection under the Fifth Amendment 
Protection under State Statutes 
Protection under Federal Statutes and Regulations 
Congressional Authority 
Search Warrants 
Breaching Confidentiality    Chapter 12: Access to Information 
Access and the Constitution 
Access to Events 
Access to Records 
Access to Meetings
Obtaining Access: A Final Word
 
Appendix A: Finding and Reading the Law 
Appendix B: The First Fourteen Amendments to the Constitution