Archive | Journalism

J-School Faculty and Students to Present Legal Research

UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication students, faculty and alumni have had papers accepted for presentation in the Law and Policy Division at the AEJMC Southeast Colloquium being hosted by Virginia Tech University March 8-10. The papers were selected through a process of blind review.

Of the 20 papers accepted for presentation in the Law and Policy Division at the Colloquium, 11 have UNC-affiliated authors including the second-place student paper and the first and second place faculty papers. They are:

Student-authored papers:

“Student Online Speech Rights: The Dissolution of the ‘Schoolhouse Gate’ and How Courts Have Ruled in Online Student Speech Cases” by Cindy J. Austin (master’s student)

“An Analysis of FTC Cases Involving Substantiation of Health Claims in Food Advertising: Is the Standard Tightening to the Level of FDA Labeling Standards?” by Jeanne-Marie DeStephano (master’s student)

“A Moving Target: The Attorney-Client Privilege” by Tom Eppes (doctoral student)

“Prescription Drug Marketing to Physicians and the First Amendment” by Laura Marshall (master’s student)

“Food Industry Response to Proposed Guidelines for Self-Regulation of Food Marketing Aimed at Children” by Patrick Mustain (master’s student)

“Putting Media Contact Policies to the Facial Test: When Media Contact Policies are Constitutionally Permissible” by April Raphiou (doctoral student)

“Who are the Media? The Media Exemption to Campaign Finance Regulation” by John Remensperger (master’s student) (*second place student paper)

“Internet Advertising and Interactive Computer Services: Liability and Immunity as Provided by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act” by Christopher J. Vargo (doctoral student)

Faculty-authored papers:

“A Dangerous Distinction: The Deconstitutionalization of Private Speech” by Derigan Silver (alum) and Ruth Walden (faculty) (*second place faculty paper)

“The Real Story Behind the Nation’s First Shield Law: Maryland 1894-1897” by Dean Smith (faculty)

Alum-authored papers:

“The Case for Online Obscurity” by Woodrow Hartzog (alum) (*first place faculty paper)

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Students to Present Media Law Research

Five UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication graduate students have had media law research papers accepted for presentation at the August 2011 convention of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.  One of the students, Roxane Coche, won third place in the student paper competition.  The judging was done through a process of blind review.  The convention will be in St. Louis, Mo.

These are the students and the titles of their papers:

Ph.D. student Kelly Davis:  “Unknown Knowns:  Judicial Review and Mosaic Theory in the Years of the George W. Bush Administration.”

Ph.D. student Roxane Coche:   “’Blurring’ and ‘Tarnishment’:  How Federal Courts Have Applied the 2006 Trademark Dilution Revision Act Standards.”  ** Third-place student paper.

Ph.D. student Scott Parrott: “Might This ‘Legal Attack Dog’ Have Much Bite?  Righthaven, Fair Use and the Unauthorized Reproduction of News Content Online.”

Ph.D. graduate and adjunct professor Dean Smith: “Journalist Privilege in 1929:  The Quest for a Federal Shield Law Begins.”

Master’s student Gillian Wheat:  “Retransmission Consent:  An Exploration of its Past, Present and Future.”

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Ph.D. Grad to Publish Shield Law Research

Dean Smith, who received his Ph.D. in the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication in May 2011, has had an article accepted for publication in the “Journal of Media Law and Ethics” this summer. The article is “Journalist Privilege in 1929: The Quest for a Federal Shield Law Begins.”

In his article, Smith uses a critical legal history approach to explore the first attempts to persuade Congress to adopt a federal shield law and explains the lasting impact of those events. This is the first scholarly treatment of the events, and the article incorporates original historical research. The theoretical lens through which the events are viewed is borrowed from Michael Gerhardt, a well-known constitutional-law scholar on the faculty of the UNC School of Law.  The article is based on Smith’s dissertation research.

Smith is an adjunct professor in the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication.  He teaches media law and newswriting.

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Center joins Carnegie Media Law Project

The UNC Center for Media Law and Policy has joined the Carnegie Media Law Project on Journalism Schools as News Providers.

Funded with a grant from the Carnegie Corporation, the project aims to identify and address the legal needs and concerns of journalism schools whose students are publishing online.  The project is directed by Geanne Rosenberg, professor in the Department of Journalism and the Writing Professions at the Baruch College of the City University of New York.

Participating schools and organizations, in addition to the UNC Center for Media Law and Policy, include Columbia’s Graduate School of Journalism, The Poynter Institute, Harvard Law School’s Berkman Center’s Citizen Media Law Project, Howard University, Arizona State University, Boston University, CUNY, American University, University of Missouri, University of Minnesota and USC’s Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism.

In February Professor Rosenberg met in Chapel Hill with members of the faculty of the UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication to hear their thoughts about how to best protect the valuable journalism UNC students are contributing to the public.

On April 8, 2011, representatives of all the participating schools and organizations will meet at The Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Fla., to continue work on the project.  The UNC Center for Media Law and Policy will be represented at the meeting by Center Director Cathy Packer.

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Research prizes and presentations

Six UNC School of Journalism and Mass Communication graduate students and one faculty member have had media law research papers accepted for presentation at the Southeast Colloquium for the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication in Columbia, S.C., March 17-19, 2011.  Among their papers are the first and second-place prize winners in the student paper competition.

These are the authors and the titles of their papers:

  • Jonathan D. Jones (M.A./J.D. dual-degree student), top student paper, “Personal Jurisdiction and Internet Libel:  Why the First Amendment Should Have a Role in the Decision to Exercise Jurisdiction.”
  • Roxanne Coche (Ph.D. student), second-place student paper, “Blurring and Tarnishment:  How Federal Court Have Applied the 2006 Trademark Dilution Revision Act Standards.”
  • Scott Parrott (Ph.D. student), “Does ‘Free Press’ Mean It’s Free to Use?  Fair Use and the Unauthorized Reproduction of News Content Online.”
  • Gillian Wheat (master’s student), “Retransmission Consent:  An Exploration of its Past, Present and Future.”
  • Lydia E. Wilson (master’s student), “Felony Use of an Audio-Enabled Video Phone or Political Speech?  All-party Consent Anti-Wiretapping Statutes and the Public’s Right to Monitor Police Work.”
  • Stephanie Soucheray-Grell (master’s student), “The Drug-Maker and the Doctor:  Recent FDA Warning Letters and Direct-to-Professional Promotional Speech.”
  • Debashis “Deb” Aikat, associate professor, with Nikhil Moro of the University of North Texas, “Adjudicating Libel:  Freedom of Expression Theory in the Digital Age.”

Congratulations, everyone!

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