Media Law

Ashley Messenger is Senior Associate General Counsel at NPR, specializing in First Amendment and media law. She has previously worked for U.S. News & World Report, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and NuCity Publications, Inc. She has taught First Amendment law at the University of Michigan Law School and media law courses for the journalism schools at American University, the George Washington University, and George Mason University. Early in her career, she was a commercial radio talk show host and writer and was awarded a Silver Gavel Award by the State Bar of New Mexico.

List of Tables and Figures – Preface – Acknowledgements – Part I: Introductory Material – Court Systems, Citation, and Procedure – First Amendment–Theory and Practice – Part II: What Can You Be Sued For? (And Are There Related Criminal Charges?) – Libel: The Risk of Criticism, Insults, and Trash Talk – Privacy: Publishing Private, Embarrassing, or Sensitive Information – Publicity: Using Someone’s Name or Likeness – Copyright: Issues With Creating Content or Using Other People’s Content – Trademarks: The Use of Product Names and Logos – Use of Photos, Illustrations, and Other Images – Use of Music – Negligence Claims Against the Media: Content That May Result in Personal Injury – Part III: How Does One Get Information to Publish? – Is There a Right of Access to Information, Places, or Events? – Can One Be Sued or Prosecuted for Gathering News? – Part IV: How Does the Government Regulate or Interfere With Speech? – Efforts to Subpoena or Search Journalists – Punishing or Restricting Protests and Other Public Speech – Punishing or Restricting Sensitive or Offensive Topics – Regulating Political Speech, Elections, and Campaigns – Regulating Advertisements/Promotions/Marketing – Television and Radio—FCC Regulation – Special Classes of Speakers – Part V: What Practical Issues Are Related to Media Law? – How the Internet Has Affected Publishing and the Law – Practical Issues Related to Media Law – Case Index – Subject Index.