MPC 4 16 13 FREE PRESS V FAIR TRIAL OJ Simpson micheal Jackson Martha stewart public figures qho were charged with crimes First amendment freedom of the press Sixth amendment right to fair trial MEDIA AND LAW how free should media be Media law encompasses the areas of personal rights intellectual property rights and newsgathering rights Seditious libel laws Laws that in colonial America made it illegal to criticize the govt or its representatives Contempt Willful disobedience of the court or legislative body US LEGAL SYSTEM Constitutional law the constitution developed in the US great Britain did not have a written constitution although much of US legal system was borrowed from Great Britain each state had own constitution Statutory Law today statues adopted by the legislative bodies are the dominant form of lawmaking administrative law Rules and regulation of government agencies o federal communications commission o federal trade commission common law referred to as the judge made up law judge rulings become precedents for future cases judge finds a method of news gathering is illegal DOING ETHICS IN JOURNALISM The law leaves enormous gray area rights are not the same as obligations ethical decision making is personal decision making profession standards should not be conflict with personal standards The potter box of ethical decision making description of facts loyalties audience larger community subjects of a story sources clients colleagues values free speech privacy confidentiality protecting people principle the overarching moral or law by which you live uour personal and professional life morals a religious code of behavior may or may not be rational ethics a rational way of deciding whar is good for individuals in society Aristotle and the golden mean comes from hitting a balance just right point between excess and defect Cowardice against reckless foolhardiness both are unacceptable behaviors Imannual kantand the categorical imperitive act as if the maxim of your action were to become through your will a universal law of nature John stuart mill the principle of utility John rawls the veil of ignorance Ethical behavior arises from that which will provide the greatest good for the greatest number of people Machiavelli enlightened self interest Success is an end uno itself end justifies the means Truthfulness Washington post writer janet cooke won a Pulitzer prize in 1981 for a story that was fabricated In 2003 New York Times Reporter Jayson blair fabricated or plagerized 36 articles in the prestigioyus newspaper