Media Law Matrix

After reading Ch. 16 of the text, identify at least five laws relating to media regulation. Explain how the laws affect mass media and the public. Provide a brief description of ethical issues and considerations. Describe how these ethical considerations are related to the laws you have identified.

Mass Media Laws
Law Effects
Related Ethical Issues
Intellectual Property
People have a legal right to get income from what they have created and charging for their use. So, People that disperses someone else’s copyrighted property is illegal. John Lech Johansen was a programmer in Norway that devised a code to bypass the encryption on DVD’s and allowed people to file share them on the internet. He did not break the laws that where in place at that time. Free Expression

Although the United States constitution states: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. During WW1 American citizens were jailed if they were considered anti-war activists. Similar things have happened throughout history. Similar issues occurred in the Patriot act of 2001 Defamation

When the media says things that decimate the character of a person or business, They are at risk of being sued. Broadcasts and Publications have to pay close attention to the wording so that it is just plain facts and make sure that what they are saying is completely true. Government’s officials and political candidates are interesting to look at when learning about this subject. Courts look past statements given by political parties when there is a wide open discussion. Broadening Protection

A 1930 tariff law was used as an import restriction to intercept James Joyce’s Ulysses at the docks because of four-letter words and explicit sexual references. The judge, who was not without humor, made a strong case for freedom in literary expression The U.S. Supreme Court addressed First Amendment issues for the first time after World War I and had little problem in declaring that government limitations were unacceptable for political discourse, albeit with specific exceptions. It turned out, however, that political speech has lots of crossover with literature, entertainment and advertising. Indecency

Obscenity laws are concerned with prohibiting lewd, filthy, or disgusting words or pictures, and there are major disagreements as to what is or isn’t obscene and what role the government should play in enforcing social or cultural morals. Moralism is wrong, because an alleged “community standard” does not exist. Because such standards are so hard to define, limits end up being tyranny of the majority against an unprotected minority.

Select two issues currently in the media—one local issue and one global issue—related to media in Local media issue:

What are the relevant laws related to the issue? In 350 words, explain the legal implications and ethical considerations as they apply to the media’s responsibility.

OSP Assisting Wasco County SO with Armed/Barricaded Subject
This is an article about Dallas police department showing up to do their job and serving papers of eviction. However, when the officers arrived there where guns shots fired. There was nothing confirming that they were fired at the police department. The police department was trying to negotiate with the person that was inside the house. Then spontaneously there was a fire that started. The house was smoldering from within. They did obtain the person that had the gun and did find that there was one fatality. It has not been said if the person died from the result of the gun fire or the fire.

The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. The relevant laws that are in this article are murder, manslaughter, arson, firing at police officers. These are just a few there is so many more that could be charged. Media should keep people informed and notify only the facts of this story. If they stray from the true story it could affect the family of the person that was arrested. It could also affect the way that the hearing goes for the man who was put into custody. Moral implications is that paying respect to the one that lost their life from this horrible situation.

Global media issue:

Explain the interaction between mass media and government in this issue. In 350 words, explain the effect of the mass media messages related to this issue on society.

U.S. troops pull out of Yemen airbase as Shiite rebels step up offensive
Houthis is a Yemen Rebel group that forced U.S. soldiers from an air-base. Their appeal came just minutes after Hadi gave a defiant speech challenging the Houthis, his first address broadcast to the public since fleeing Sanaa last month. This group is against constitutional legitimacy. This is the base that the U.S. government helps fight the Al-Quada. The government has had a lot of strikes that are targeted at this group since they consider the Al-Quada the most dangerous out there. Over one hundred military soldiers have been put out into the elements until they can get a safer place or until they gain power over this air-base again. There are a lot of things that are legal issues here. Murder, bombing, and a huge amount of others. The moral implications of this is that there are family’s here and there that are affected by this. Making sure that the news is spot on and has no facts that have not been proven to be legit. The news can be watch by everyone and it can give a stand point and information to the side that is causing the issue.