Plain-language explanation.
Media law covers the legal rules that govern what journalists, broadcasters, and online publishers can and cannot do. Defamation law protects people's reputations from false statements. Copyright law protects creators' work. Privacy law protects personal information. Media ethics goes beyond the law to ask what media organisations should do, even when they are legally permitted to do something.
Core concepts and standard treatment.
Key areas of media law: defamation (libel in writing, slander in speech — publication, identification, defamatory meaning, falsity, and fault; defences — truth, honest opinion, privilege, public interest); copyright (original expression, not ideas — duration, fair use/fair dealing, digital copyright enforcement — DMCA, Article 13/17 EU Copyright Directive); privacy (tort of misuse of private information, GDPR/UK GDPR for personal data processing by media organisations, right to be forgotten); contempt of court (restrictions on prejudicial reporting of ongoing proceedings); and confidentiality (source protection, official secrets).
Deeper theory, debates and edge cases.
Press regulation: statutory vs. self-regulation debate; UK system (post-Leveson: IPSO, IMPRESS); PCC (predecessor) failures and Leveson inquiry into phone hacking (News of the World); Ofcom regulation of broadcast media (impartiality requirements distinguishing broadcast from print); and media ownership rules (plurality, cross-media ownership). Platform regulation: intermediary liability (Section 230 US, DSA EU), content moderation obligations, and algorithmic transparency requirements.
How it is applied in practice.
Media ethics frameworks: Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, BBC Editorial Guidelines, Reuters Handbook. Applied ethical dilemmas: when is naming a victim of sexual violence in the public interest? Is paying sources (chequebook journalism) compatible with accuracy and independence? Should journalists publish stolen/leaked documents (Pentagon Papers, Snowden, Panama Papers)? Media ethics in the digital age: AI-generated content disclosure, deepfake journalism, synthetic media and misinformation, and the ethics of social media surveillance. International press freedom: Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders track journalist safety, imprisonment, and surveillance — with implications for foreign correspondent practice.