Legal Aspects of Media Review - Full Sail University
Any career in public relations will inevitably be surrounded by controversy. When you think about it, that one of the main objectives of the job, to handle controversy. In this course we got the opportunity of examining different cases relating to the use and handling of materials.
In the first week, we discussed the case of Deteresa v. ABC from 1997. This case involved the use of audio and video clips obtained from an interview. In was great to see how each student viewed and analyzed the information. We also learned how submit a FOIA request.
In the second week, we examined defamation. We reviewed two cases for our research case study presentation. Using keynote, I explained the background and outcomes of each case. This assignment helped me to realize how to avoid possibly defaming a person or group of persons, but also how to remedy the situation should conflict arise.
In the third week, we learned about copyrights. Our assignment was to fill out a copyright registration form and to locate 3 copyrighted works in the Copyright Office database at www.copyright.gov. This “hands on” approach has really simplified the copyright process for me. I feel like I have a great grasp on how to seek permission to use copyrighted works and apply for my own copyrights.
In the final week of class, we reviewed the rights of commercial speech. In our assignment, we examined the Central Hudson Gas and Electric v. The Public Service Commission of New York case from 1980. We then had to place ourselves into a hypothetical situation where we must make a decision based on the expectations of the government.
Overall the class has given a great understanding of the research that must go into using materials for promotional purposes. There’s nothing wrong with a great marketing campaign, but we must make sure that we operate within the law. If a problem does arise, we need to be armed with research that proves why we used our information and clearly states the relationship with the sources.
