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Media Law
Media law is a fascinating and increasingly important subject. This course pursues a general theme of investigating and analysing the nature of free speech and the public interest as they relate to the media. It covers the most important laws which impact on the media, including defamation, court reporting and contempt, breach of confidence, copyright, restrictions on news-gathering methods, privacy, the Broadcasting Standards Authority and the Press Council.Teaching in the course is active rather than passive. This involves the use of pub quizzes, group discussion and feedback, guest speakers, a haiku competition, case studies, a grand debate, spot debates, media monitoring and student responsibility exercises.
The objects of the course are: to give students knowledge and understanding of the general principles; to give students analytical and critical skills in relation to the present law, including in relation to how government is meeting its Treaty of Waitangi obligations to preserve Te Reo; to enable students to consider possible reform of the law; and to assist students to develop research, writing and oral skills.
(i) LAWS101; and (ii) LAWS110
LAWS202-LAWS206
Ursula Cheer
Assessment may be by way of a group breaking news legal advice exercise, an essay, a filmed oral presentation and a final examination.The assessment will be confirmed in the first week of lectures.
John Burrows and Ursula Cheer; Burrows and Cheer on media law in New Zealand ; 7th edn; LexisNexis, 2015.
Domestic fee $775.00
International fee $3,525.00
* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.
For further information see Faculty of Law .