Author Archive | Chanda Marlowe

Media Law Student to Intern with Comcast

By on April 27, 2015 in Journalism

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Media law student Nick Gross will be a public policy intern for Comcast Corp. in Washington, D.C., this summer. Congratulations, Nick!

Nick is a first-year Ph.D. student in the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication and a graduate assistant assigned to the UNC Center for Media Law and Policy. 

Nick has a J.D. from the University of Miami School of Law.  He has worked as a legal research attorney for the Superior Court of California, Santa Clara County, and as a staff attorney with the Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta, Ga.

This is the description of the Comcast position: “The Public Policy Intern will research and write on a variety of issues including cable, Internet, voice, wireless, and related topics.  The Public Policy Intern will focus on legislative and other Federal processes. All interns can expect to prepare briefing memos, talking points, comment summaries, and other written material, and may have opportunities to attend conferences and other events outside of the office.  Interns will work with management to determine the impact of federal actions on the organization, develop presentations and other written materials on findings, and act as an internal consultant to the government affairs teams.”

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Judge Thokozile Masipa visits UNC

By on April 13, 2015 in Journalism

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On Tuesday, April 7, I had an opportunity to speak with the Honorable Thokozile Matilda Masipa, a judge in the Gauteng Division of the High Court of South Africa.  Many know her as the judge who presided over the high profile Oscar Pistorius murder trial, but it’s the story of how she overcame seemingly insurmountable odds to become the second black woman admitted to the bench in South Africa that inspires me. 

Judge Masipa grew up in the poor, black township of Soweto under the South African apartheid regime. Opportunities for minorities were almost nonexistent.  Determined to help others, Judge Masipa pursued a degree in social work and then later spoke out against injustices as a journalist.  She once was arrested and jailed overnight for protesting the government’s attempts to suppress the media. 

Participating in the anti-apartheid movement sparked Judge Masipa’s interest in the law.   The full-time journalist, wife and mother spent 10 years completing her law degree. 

She quickly earned the respect of her colleagues and took on more and more challenging cases as a lawyer. In 1998, five judges nominated her, and she was appointed to the bench. It was not her plan to become an activist or a judge.  She explained, “[B]ecoming an advocate is not a choice, it is imposed on you.  It’s the environment that you grow up in. You know that if you do not do something, you will perish.”

Judge Thokozile Masipa is a former student of Kenneth Broun, professor emeritus at UNC School of Law.  She delivered the 2015 William P. Murphy Distinguished Lecture on Monday, April 6.  Many thanks to Professor Broun and UNC for bringing such a distinguished guest to our campus!

Chanda Marlowe is a 2L at the University of North Carolina School of Law

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Job opportunities in media law at your fingertips

By on February 16, 2015 in Copyright, FCC, First Amendment, Internet, Journalism, Privacy, Transparency

FIND JOBIt’s never too early – or too late – to start looking for the internship, fellowship, or job that is right for you.  However, the process of sifting through hundreds of postings looking for what you want can be daunting.  That is why the UNC Center for Media Law and Policy created its Job Center.  It’s a centralized place to find opportunities to work in the field of media law and policy.

We Bring Our Network to You

The UNC Center for Media Law and Policy has a large (and growing) network of media law and policy minded folks who are often looking for people just like you.  Here is just one example: The multidisciplinary project Privacy Tools For Sharing Research Data at Harvard is looking for undergraduates, law students, graduate students, postdocs, and visiting scholars to join its efforts to help enable the collection, analysis, and sharing of sensitive data while providing robust privacy protections.  If you are willing to live in Boston for the summer (and who wouldn’t?), this could be a great summer gig.

Easy to Use

You can easily find the perfect job for you by using our advanced search feature to search by location, keyword, or practice area.  Also, try browsing by job type or category for a more expansive look at what we have to offer.  Just like that, opportunities for internships, fellowships, and academic teaching positions (Academic – Journalism and Academic – Law) are at your fingertips.

Wide Variety of Jobs

The job opportunities in our database are endless.  If it pertains to media law, we have it.  Our categories include: IP, Copyright, Photo Journalism, Broadcast, FTC listings, Cyber Law, and Trademark.  It’s a one-stop shop for media law jobs.  Here is a list of some of my favorite recent postings:

  • Internship – NPR, Office of the General Counsel: A 10-week program that provides legal interns with an opportunity to work on diverse assignments and a wide range of legal issues, including First Amendment and intellectual property.
  • The ITS Global Policy Fellowship Program: A 4-week program in Brazil that provides fellows from around the world who are interested in internet and technology policy with an opportunity to deepen their knowledge about the Brazilian technology industry.
  • Free Press Public Interest Summer Associate: A 10-12-week program that provides summer associates with an opportunity to work on projects that focus on Net Neutrality, media ownership rules, antitrust law, the use of spectrum, wireless consumer protections and cable television policy.

The Time is Now

If you are currently a student, there are still opportunities for you to find the perfect summer position after on campus interviews are over.  Recent graduates and experienced job seekers, employers’ needs are ever changing, so it pays to be persistent with your job search.  Remember our Job Center is available year-round.  Use it, along with other UNC Center for Media Law and Policy resources, to land your dream job.

  • Join the UNC Center for Media Law and Policy group on LinkedIn!
  • Read about UNC dual degree student Natasha Duarte’s summer internship experience at the Electronic Privacy Information Center here.
  • Read about UNC dual degree student Kevin Delaney’s summer internship experience at the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press here.

Chanda Marlowe is a 2L at the University of North Carolina School of Law

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Are Charter School Studies Giving Us The Full Picture?

By on August 23, 2014 in Transparency

deskAccording to a recent study by the University of Arkansas, charter schools are 40% more cost-effective than traditional public schools. But do we really have the full picture? It’s hard to know because charter schools don’t have to disclose the same information as traditional public schools.

The Arkansas study measured effectiveness by comparing students’ scores on National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) exams with the amount of money spent on teaching particular subjects. The researchers found that for every $1000 invested per pupil, charter schools increased NAEP scores by 16-17 points more than traditional public schools.

Critics argue that the Arkansas study understates per-pupil expenditures because it does not account for district funding that helps pay for school lunches, transportation, special education, and other services. The study also fails to account for charter schools that are in buildings owned by traditional public schools at no or reduced cost. It’s difficult, however, to draw conclusions about the overall efficiency of charter schools without knowing exactly how much they spend.

In North Carolina, there has been a recent push to increase charter school transparency. On August 7, Gov. Pat McCrory signed Senate Bill 793, which requires charter schools to adhere to North Carolina public records and meeting laws. Still, unlike traditional public schools, N.C. charter schools aren’t required to share all spending information with the public. For example, the salaries of top charter school administrators do not have to be disclosed.

Ted Kolderie, a senior associate with education policy non-profit, Education Evolving, says that the Arkansas report falls into the category of advocacy research. There are stakeholders funding the research who have an interest in promoting charter schools. In addition to concerns about funding, he takes issue with the report’s dependence on NAEP scores alone to make determinations about school effectiveness. Bruce Baker, a professor of education policy at Rugers, has criticized The University of Arkansas’s research on charter schools in the past, stating that “it suffers from alarmingly vague documentation.”

As the debate over whether charter schools or public schools perform better continues, the studies that attempt to come up with an answer are being heavily scrutinized. Transparency laws requiring charter schools to disclose more information will help people determine if there is really substance behind the claims in these studies.

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Statehouse media coverage declines

By on July 29, 2014 in Journalism, Transparency

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According to a recent Pew Research Center report, the number of reporters covering their statehouses has dropped 35% over the past decade. The study found a loss of 164 full-time statehouse reporters across the nation and more than two-thirds of U.S. newspapers without a statehouse reporter at all. Given the media’s role as watchdog for the government, this should be cause for public concern.

With fewer full-time journalists devoted to covering legislative matters at the state level, many journalists, legislative leaders, and industry observers fear that the public will not be kept informed of important policy decisions that will affect their daily lives. Part-time coverage, while valuable, may result in journalists missing critical stories or context that comes from being stationed at statehouses full-time. This could impact their ability to hold state politicians accountable.

Non-traditional outlets and state officials have attempted to fill the “reduction in coverage.” However, it does not make up for the numbers of jobs lost or alleviate concerns about the inherent bias of a state covering its own activities.

Daily Tar Heel reporter, Amanda Albright, sees the shrinking statehouse press corps as a call to action. In her article titled “A silver lining in Pew’s statehouse press report,” she encourages college journalists to step up and provide valuable oversight of state government. According to the Pew report, college students already make up 14 percent of all state capitol reporters.

Looking at Pew’s state-by-state data, N.C. has 47 statehouse reporters, 18 of which are full-time. While this is far from the lowest numbers in the country (South Dakota only has 2 full-time state house reporters), N.C. could still use more “watchdogs” based on the state’s population, the length of its legislative sessions, and arguably the average number of bills introduced at the statehouse.

The North Carolina General Assembly has taken action on over 400 bills this short session and will continue to tackle important issues such as the state budget until they adjourn. Their decisions will affect the lives of nearly 10 million North Carolinians. It is critical that the public be informed.

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