Charles A. Marvin
cmarvin@gsu.edu
404.651.2436
404.651.2092(fax)
SYLLABUS
FALL SEMESTER, 1998
MASS COMMUNICATIONS LAW
LAW 7390/9069
Professor Charles A. Marvin 6:00-8:45 Mondays
Office - Room 445 U.L.B. Classroom 330
Telephone: (404) 651-2436
e-mail address: cmarvin@gsu.edu
REQUIRED TEXT:
COMMUNICATIONS LAW: MEDIA, ENTERTAINMENT AND REGULATION
Lively, Hammond, Morant and Weaver. Anderson Publishing (1997)
OTHER TEXT:
MASS COMMUNICATION LAW IN A NUTSHELL
Carter, Dee, Gaynes and Zuckman. West Publishing (1994, 4th ed.)
Mass Communications Law is a survey course that covers a variety of communications law issues in an era of rapidly expanding media technology and markets. Along with traditional questions surrounding operations of print media, there are more recent issues involving broadcast, cable and video media that are covered. Details on computer law and the internet are covered in other, specialized courses. This course also deals with aspects of the law implicating artistic expression. More extensive coverage of intellectual property law is provided in more specialized courses in that area.
An option is given to students to write a research paper or to take a final examination for credit in the course. The final examination comprises three hypothetical questions of equal value. The arrangements for the taking of the prospective final examination (sitdown in-class or take-home) would be subject to the eventualities of discussion between the professor and the students. If a student were to choose the research paper option, that paper could be written to meet the College of Law's writing requirement. The format for the paper would include a
cover page, table of contexts, main body of the text (at least 5000 words, double-spaced) with foot-notes or end-notes, and a bibliography. The paper would be due no later than 6:00 p.m.
on Monday, January 11th , 1999, the first day of classes for Spring Semester, 1999.
Attendance by students at classes is expected, and non-attendance at three or more classes subjects a student to being dropped from the course. Professor Marvin is in his office most
weekdays from 9 to 5, and is also available before or after the Mass Communications Law
class on Monday nights.
Listed on the next page are the class reading assignments in the sequence anticipated to be covered in this course:
Professor Charles A. Marvin Page 2
Mass Communications Law, 1998
Date Subject Matter Pages
24 Aug. Ch. 1 Nature and History of Media 1-19
Ch. 2.A Privileged Position of the Press? 21-50
31 Aug. Ch.2.B Prior Restraints 50-121
Ch.2.C.1 Defamation
7 Sept. LABOR DAY HOLIDAY
14 Sept. Ch.2.C.2-7 Treatment of Categories of Speech 121-182
21 Sept. Ch.3.A Regulation of Broadcast Media 183-240
28 Sept. Ch.3.B Cable Television Franchising Process 241-264
Ch.3.C Telco Entry into the Video Market 264-291
5 Oct. Ch.4.A Media and the First Amendment 293-327
Ch.4.B.1 Fairness Regulation 328-367
12 Oct. Ch.4.B.2 Access and the First Amendment 367-415
19 Oct. Ch.4.C.1 Regulation of Indecency - Generally 416-471
26 Oct. Ch.4.C.2 Indecency over the Telephone 471-494
Ch.4.D&E Violence/ Children's Programming 494-506
2 Nov. Ch.5.A,B&C First Amendment and Artistic Expression 507-577
9 Nov. Ch.5.D-G First Amendment - Artistic Expression,cont. 577-636
16 Nov. Ch.6.A Control of Artistic Expression - Copyright 637-693
23 Nov. Ch.6.B. Common Law Control Remedies 694-736
Ch.6.C&D Resource Allocation / Control Issues 736-752
30 Nov. Ch.7 New Technologies: Computer Communication 753-797
Review of Course