This module is the first in a series of six that the faculty of the Carter Journalism Institute at NYU has developed to expose students to core ethical and legal issues underscoring journalism as it is practiced in the United States. In this module, we provide a legal and ethical context to journalism, centering on the First Amendment, and offer important historical background every journalist should know.
Each module in this Journalism Ethics & Law series takes about 90 minutes to complete. At the end of each is a knowledge check quiz, which, to receive credit, you must complete.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this unit, students should be able to:
Define the First Amendment and know about its history.
Identify the limits of the First Amendment under the law.
Cite details of the Supreme Court decision that limits a journalist’s privilege to keep confidential sources secret in a legal proceeding.
Understand the concept of prior restraint.
Discuss one of the most most celebrated journalism investigations in history as it relates to the press playing a role in checking government power.