JRN2006 Media Law and Ethics
| Semester 2, 2019 On-campus Springfield | |
| Short Description: | Media Law and Ethics |
| Units : | 1 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts |
| School or Department : | School of Humanities & Communication |
| Student contribution band : | Band 1 |
| ASCED code : | 100703 - Journalism |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
Staffing
Examiner: Caryn Coatney
Other requisites
Students will require access to e-mail and have internet access to UConnect for this course.
Rationale
While legal systems differ from country to country, this course considers the laws that affect journalists and the media. It provides a legal and ethical framework for professional practice.
Synopsis
Students will examine the Australian legal system, defamation law, contempt of court and parliament, and the law of copyright. The study of major developments in moral philosophy will form a foundation on which to analyse specific case studies, with particular reference to the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance
(MEAA) (Journalists) Code of Ethics.
Objectives
On successful completion of this course students should be able to:
- extend their knowledge by examining the laws and practices that apply to the ethical reporting and writing of journalistic work
- analyse legal, ethical, and industry standards, and evaluate published copy that is defamatory, contemptuous or infringes copyright
- communicate complex ideas and evaluate the impact of technology on the ethical practice of journalism
- critically reflect on the principles of ethical and legal decision-making processes in industry
- apply codes of practice and ethical principles and research to identify, evaluate and resolve journalistic case studies
- analyse the media portrayal of ethnicity, gender, disability, sexuality, age and race, including indigenous populations.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | Australian legal systems | 5.00 |
| 2. | Principles of defamation | 25.00 |
| 3. | Principles of contempt | 25.00 |
| 4. | Other legal issues | 5.00 |
| 5. | History of moral philosophy | 5.00 |
| 6. | Code of Ethics | 15.00 |
| 7. | Current ethical issues. | 20.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from USQ's Online Bookshop (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2019&sem=02&subject1=JRN2006)
Please contact us for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)
Little, J 2013, Journalism ethics and law: stories of media practice, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Victoria.
Pearson, M & Polden, M 2019, The journalist's guide to media law, 6th edn, Allen & Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW.
Reference materials
Reference materials are materials that, if accessed by students, may improve their knowledge and understanding of the material in the course and enrich their learning experience.
Student workload expectations
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Directed Study | 68.00 |
| Independent Study | 97.00 |
Assessment details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1500 WD MEDIA LAW ASSIGNMENT | 100 | 25 | 27 Aug 2019 | |
| 1800 WD MEDIA ETHICS ASSIGN | 100 | 35 | 15 Oct 2019 | |
| EXAMINATION | 100 | 40 | End S2 | (see Examination notes below) |
Examination
Exam Notes
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| EXAM PART A (Multiple Choice) | 20 | 10 | (see exam note 1) |
| EXAM PART B | 80 | 30 | (see exam note 2) |
Exam Notes
- This will be a restricted exam. The total working time for the exam (parts A and B) is 2 hours. The examination date will be available via UConnect when the official exam timetable has been released.
- This will be a restricted exam. The total working time for the exam (parts A and B) is 2 hours. The examination date will be available via UConnect when the official exam timetable has been released.
Important assessment information
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Attendance requirements:
Students must attend and complete the requirements of the Workplace Health and Safety training program for this course where required.
External and Online:
There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students’ responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
On-campus
It is the students’ responsibility to attend and participate appropriately in all activities (such as lectures, tutorials, laboratories and practical work) scheduled for them, and to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration.
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Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks.
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Penalties for late submission of required work:
Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure http://policy.usq.edu.au/documents.php?id=14749PL (point 4.2.4)
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Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course.
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Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative assessment items in the course.
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Examination information:
Candidates are allowed access only to specific materials during a Restricted Examination. The only materials that candidates may use in the restricted examination for this course are:
a. writing materials (non-electronic and free from material which could give the student an unfair advantage in the examination);
b. students may take an unmarked non-electronic dictionary (but not technical dictionary) into the examination. Dictionaries with any handwritten notes will not be permitted. Dictionaries will be subject to perusal and may be removed from the candidate’s possession until appropriate disciplinary action is completed if found to contain material that could give the candidate an unfair advantage.
c. the two course textbooks (or previous versions) provided they are not marked in any way. Marking includes any form of written notes, highlighting or underlining passages, marking pages with ‘post-its’, or turning down corners.
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Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
Any Deferred or Supplementary examinations for this course will be held during the next examination period.
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University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at http://policy.usq.edu.au.
Other requirements
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Students can expect that questions in assessment items in this course may draw upon knowledge and skills that they can reasonably be expected to have acquired before enrolling in the course. This includes knowledge contained in pre-requisite courses and appropriate communication, information literacy, analytical, critical thinking, problem solving or numeracy skills. Students who do not possess such knowledge and skills should not expect to achieve the same grades as those students who do possess them.
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Use of correct English is essential to Journalism. Spelling, grammar and punctuation will be taken into consideration in marking assignments. Severe deficiencies could mean failure in the course.