3.0

credits

Average Course Rating

Communication professionals encounter the law in many ways. They need to know what they can put on a website, what they can say about private citizens and public figures, what they have to say in political commercials, and what claims they can make about products they advertise. This course explores the laws communication professionals need to know about to do their job effectively. Students will learn how to evaluate slander, libel and defamation issues. Copyright, trademark and privacy law will be addressed, including the “fair use” right to excerpt materials on and off the Internet. First Amendment issues to be covered include regulation of advertising and other government regulation of speech, as well as its impact on the rights of parents and children. Campaign finance issues will also be considered, including “equal time”, independent expenditures and candidates’ speech rights. The course also covers issues raised by broadband deployment, including spectrum management and “open internet” issues.