MEDIA LAW

The University of Montana School of Journalism

Spring Semester 2009

Class Schedule J367

Schedule for J567

Links To Related Sites

JOURNALISM 367

Instructor: Clem Work

Office: Anderson 428

Schedule: T Th 11:10 - 12:30

Room: Old J 304

Office hours: M-Th 1-3, F 2-4

Phone: (office) 243-2160
(home) 728-2760 (until 10 p.m.)

E-mail:

clem.work@umontana.edu



My e-mail to you will be through your
UM ACCOUNT. You may redirect
mail to your favorite account if you wish.

The First Amendment
(ratified Dec. 15, 1791)

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Journalism 367 is a 3-credit course on how American print and broadcast media are affected by the constitution, laws and regulations of the United States, of Montana and other states, and occasionally by those of cities and counties. The purpose of the course is to give aspiring journalists a better appreciation of the promises of and the obstacles to a free press. We will address how government exercises its powers in regard to the media; journalists' access to courts, meetings and records; the law on libel and invasion of privacy and broadcasting issues. J567 is the graduate law seminar.

Text: There is no required text for this course. The best resources are this course website and the class blog and the resources linked from them. However, I will make a couple of texts available on 2-hour reserve at the Mansfield Library. Other useful references include the United States and Montana state constitutions, the Montana Code Annotated (MCA), Media Law Reporter, The News Media And The Law, as well as publications such as the Montana, Columbia and American Journalism Reviews. National newspapers also frequently carry news stories and analyses of court decisions on media issues. Useful internet sites will be announced.

Tests and grading: A midterm test will count 25 percent. Pop quizzes and briefs will collectively count 25 percent. Here is a model brief. The FINAL EXAM will be held Thursday, May 14, from 8-10 a.m.. It will count for 40 percent of your grade. You will need a 15-cent small red Scantron card from the bookstore for the midterm and the final.

Presentations: Please see this page.

Attendance: Counts 10 percent of your final grade. Please try to attend all classes. This is a demanding course, and you’ll fall behind if you cut class. Some absences may be excused, but you should contact me ahead of time if you know you will be forced to miss class.

Deadlines: You must hand your assigned briefs to me in person, at the start of the class period in which they are due. Briefs submitted by any other means (including by email, in my mailbox, or under my office door) will not be accepted. LATE PAPERS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Makeup Exams: I will permit a makeup of the midterm or the final exam only in cases of a documented legitimate absence as defined by the University. Those include severe illness, injury or a death in your immediate family. Attending a wedding or a concert is not a legitimate absence. It’s your responsibility to speak with me in person or by phone before the scheduled exam date to discuss the possibility of a makeup.You must provide documentation (copy of a doctor’s or hospital report, an obituary or death notice). I won’t consider a request for a makeup exam if the exam date has passed. 

Withdrawals: The last day to withdraw from this course by CyberBear is Friday, Feb. 13. Thereafter, you may not withdraw except for very compelling reasons and the signed consent of your instructor and advisor.

Plagiarism: Copying someone else's creative or academic endeavour and representing it as your own is grounds for possible suspension and even expulsion. Be sure to educate yourself on the UM policy on academic misconduct.Please see UM’s student conduct code at http://www.umt.edu/SA/VPSA/index.cfm/name/StudentConductCode for definitions of scholastic misconduct.

Podcasts: I will make my lectures available as .mp3 files via iTunes and the Mansfield Library. For access instructions, click here

Disabilities: Students with disabilities that affect their ability to participate fully in class or to meet course requirements should bring this to my attention at the beginning of the semester so that appropriate accommodations can be arranged. For additional information, contact DSS Director Jim Marks, Lommasson Center 154 or 243-2243 (Voice/Text) or jim.marks@umontana.edu. Or visit the Disability Services homepage at www.umt.edu/dss/.

Class Schedule J367

Schedule for J567

Links To Related Sites

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