Course Title: Communication Law and Regulation
Part A: Course Overview
Course Title: Communication Law and Regulation
Credit Points: 12
Course Code |
Campus |
Career |
School |
Learning Mode |
Teaching Period(s) |
COMM2146 |
City Campus |
Undergraduate |
335H Applied Communication |
Face-to-Face |
Sem 2 2006,
Sem 2 2007, Sem 2 2008 |
Course Coordinator: Kevin Childs
Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 2957
Course Coordinator Email:kevin.childs@rmit.edu.au
Course Coordinator Location: 6.2.08
Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities
None
Course Description
The course will examine the key laws and regulations governing the communications industries and their impact of practitioners including journalists, broadcasters
and public relations professionals.
Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development
On completion of this course, students will have an understanding of the key areas of law that relate to Journalism, Public Relations and the communications industries in general.
On completing this course students will:
- Understand the legal and self-regulatory restrictions on expression, the reasons for these restrictions, and how to produce quality professional work
within them. - Understand the legal and self-regulatory structures which influence mass communication
- Have a basic understanding of the laws defamation and contempt of court, privacy law, ethics, broadcasting law and intellectual property.
- Have the skills to read court judgements, know where to access background information about key cases and key elements of law, have the confidence to visit courts and be knowledgeable about court functions
- Be able to write authoritatively about elements of the law as they relate to media activities.
Overview of Learning Activities
A weekly lecture, readings, class discussions and tutorial exercises will enable students to develop an understanding of the historical, social and economic context in which media law and regulation evolved.
Overview of Learning Resources
As well as set readings from the prescribed text, students are expected to read newspapers and be aware of pending court cases.
Overview of Assessment
There are five assessable tasks in this course: a court report, an essay, two in-class tests and tutorial participation..