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Media 2007 main Web page, http://www.uiowa.edu/~cyberlaw/lem07/
Law of Electronic Media
[91:306]
University of Iowa College
of Law
Iowa City, Iowa
Fall 2007
Nicholas Johnson
Summary of Readings
[NOTE: This is an approximate guideline only. It is intended as an illustration of the scope of subject matter and a possible progression. It is subject to change and, if past experience is any guide, considerable slippage. As it is revised throughout the semester the dates of revision wil be provided here. Check the "Syllabus" for annotations, discussion questions and assignments.
If it was not assigned or otherwise brought
to your attention in a prior class, read the instructor's "So
You Want to Be a Lawyer: A Play in Four Acts" (1998). There's more
to becoming a successful professional lawyer than legal knowledge and analytical
ability. (As Southwest Airlines puts it, "We hire for attitude and train
for skills.") This easy read gives you some insight into what is going
to be expected of you by the instructor for this class and as well, he
believes, by the lawyers with whom you soon will be working. -- N.J., July
23; August 27, 2007 (note footnotes' reference to precise pages); October
3, 2007; October 5, 2007 (actual dates; [originally planned dates in brackets]);
October 31, 2007.
| Approximate Dates | Main Topic | Sub-Topic | Casebook Pages | 2nd Priority Pages | Supplement Pages | Video |
| Aug. 29 & 30
Sept. 5 & 6 |
The Basics | Why do we care? | Chapter 11: Media and Politics1; [TPFL Ch. 4] | "War Made Easy" excerpt;
"Wag the Dog" excerpt |
||
| What is "the media"? | p. 34 ("Or of the Press") | Chapter 2: Defnitional Considerations2 | Jon Stewart segment ("you're hurting us") | |||
| First Amendment | pp. 11-34, 1046 | "What are the values and consequences of the First Amendment" in Chapter 1 (a)3 | Noam Chomsky; Justice Black | |||
| Administrative & International Law | pp. 35-41 | |||||
| Sept. 12 & 13 | New Property: "Spectrum" | pp. 42-55 (only) | ||||
| Rationale for Regulation | pp. 72-101 | Chapter 5: Media Reform4 | "Ronald Reagan the Movie"; Dixie Chicks; Minot | |||
| Sept. 19 & 20; Sept. 26 & 27
[Sept. 12 & 13, 19] |
Journalism Law (a sample) | Defamation | pp. 861-924 | Chapter 6 (c)5 | pp. 182-183 | Absence Malice; Johnny Carson; Tony Lewis |
| Oct. 3 & 4
[Sept. 20, 21] |
FCC Regulation | Political Speech | pp. 168-194, 204-207 | Chapter 6 (a) and (b)6 | ||
| Oct. 10 & 11
[Sept. 27, 28] |
Licensing | pp. 102-137, 154-155 | ["A Day in the Life" - only: Briefing for Commissioners, The Aural Agenda, Conclusion]7 | Media Fnd'n; Daily Show; Miller; CBS | ||
| Oct. 17, 18, 24, 25, 31 [Oct. 3, 4, 10, 11] | Cable | pp. 412-446, 447-455, 511-536 | pp. 49-74 | |||
| Nov. 1, 7, 8 [Oct. 17, 18, 24] | Journalism Law | Judicial System Coverage | pp. 979-1002 | ["Public Right Public Trial" 429, 430, 431, 432 - enlarge it] | p. 186 | |
| Confidentiality | pp. 1002-1019 | |||||
| Access | pp. 1019-1036 | ["Open Meetings"] | ||||
| Oct. 25, 31, Nov. 1 | Privacy | pp. 925-976 | pp. 184-185 | "No Secrets," Escelon, "Spy on Americans" | ||
| Nov. 2, 7 | Copyright | pp. 790-823, 831-833 | Chapter 10 | pp. 179-181 | ABC Copying Music | |
| Nov. 8, 14, 15 | FCC Regulation | Non-Political Speech | pp. 219-253, 277-293, 318-331, 345-355 | Chapter 6 (c) | pp. 10-14, 28-47 | Janet Jackson |
| Nov. 21, 22 (Thanksgiving Break) | ||||||
| Nov. 28, 29, Dec. 5, 6 | Media Concentration | pp. 684-789 | Chapter 7 (a) | pp. 175-178 | Colbert on ATT |
1. "The Problem With the Media," pp. 118-119; "Ignorance as a Political Tool" and "Manipulation Through Advertising," pp. 120-123.
2. "What is 'The Press'?" pp. 24-26
3. pp. 2-4
4. pp. 45-50 (plus endnotes, pp. 51-54)
5. pp. 61-63
6. pp. 55-60
7. See direct links to these sections in "Contents" on opening Web page
for article.
