Spurce: https://desikaanoon.in/media-law-and-ethics/

Journalism 370: Media Law & Ethics - Fall 2021 

Professor Craig L. LaMay 

As the name suggests, this course has given me a thorough understanding of the laws, ethical principles, and codes that apply to the diverse, multifaceted, and ever-changing professional practices of journalism and media. The media plays a critical part in recognizing and exercising the right to freedom of speech. Law, rules, and legal procedures govern media regulation around the world. They exist to defend freedom of speech and freedom of the press, as well as to govern media markets, ownership, infrastructural facilities, and technical specifications. These laws also exist to safeguard public interest including media pluralism and diversity. 

Media law refers to a variety of rules and ethical standards that govern journalists and people working in the media sector in general. In this class, we explored the constraints that media organizations and journalists must work within. We focused on topics such as freedom of speech, defamation, confidentiality, censorship, and access to information and compared laws in a variety of different countries. As a Communications senior who will soon be working in the field of media and broadcast, media law acts as a framework that guides me through matters of media liability and accountability in areas related to film, television, digital media, advertising, and publishing.  

Every state has the right to set the laws and ethical values of its media coverage. In this class, we analyzed and compared the laws set by a variety of different countries. However, by closely studying the media laws and ethics in Qatar and the GCC as a whole throughout this class, I have come to realize that culture, religion, and tradition are also taken into account during the formation of these laws. In many cases, the media laws set in accordance with religion and culture can be quite restricting in terms of increased censorship and less space for freedom of expression. Nevertheless, this restriction does not always have to be seen in a negative light, but can rather be considered as a way to increase the protection of a state and its citizens.