Table of Contents
To the Reader: An Introduction
1. Courts and the Legal SystemSources of American Law
State and Federal Courts
Types of Law
Civil Law and Criminal Law
Anatomy of a Lawsuit
Court Opinions
2. Ethics, Root and BranchOpportunities Forfeited
Success Under a Cloud
Classical Ethics
Professional Codes of Conduct
Concealment and Confidentiality
Conflict of Interest
3. Prior RestraintSeditious Libel
Declarations of Press Freedom
Press Freedom Sustained
Prior Restraint Isn't Totally Gone
4. LibelSeditious Libel and Civil Libel
New York Times v. Sullivan
Public Figures, Too
Private Plaintiffs
Actual Malice Proved
The Wall Street Journal in Error
Proof of Libel
Defenses to Libel
Product Disparagement
Internet Libel
5. Invasion of PrivacyAmerican Origins
Five Privacy Torts
Intrusion upon Seclusion
Disclosure of Embarrassing Private Facts
6. Less Common Invasion of Privacy TortsFalse Light
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress
Appropriation
Defenses to Invasion of Privacy Claims
Libel Plus Invasion of Privacy
7. Fair Trial v. Free PressPrejudicial Pretrial Publicity
Gag Orders
Closed Courtrooms
Access to Court Documents
Cameras in Court
Crime Coverage
8. Anonymous Sources and the Journalist's PrivilegeFederal Law
State Law
9. CopyrightThe Copyright Act
Fair Use
Digital Millenium Copyright Act
On Using Fair Use
10. Access to Government Documents and MeetingsFederal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) of 1966
Open Meetings
Access to Prisons
11. Broadcast RegulationOwnership Rules
Content Regulation
Cable and Internet Regulation
12. Citizens United v. Federal Election CommissionOpening Wedge
Citizens United and Hillary
PACs
Super PACs
Hard Money and Soft Money
527s
"Social Welfare" Organizations
Follow the Money
13. The Ethical JournalistPromises, Promises
No Government Discrimination
Today's Environment