COM 401 Legal Issues in Communication

The course examines the development of the complex relationship of communication and the law to the present day and covers a variety of free expression issues in contemporary society. The U.S. legal system itself is studied. Emphasis is placed on the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and on libel, privacy and copyright law. The relationship between regulatory agencies and the Internet, journalism, entertainment, political communication, commercial speech and the mass media in general is explored.