Communication Law: Practical Applications in the Digital Age

by Dom Caristi, William R. Davie, Laurie Thomas Lee

Overview

This fully revised 4th edition brings a fresh approach to the fundamentals of mass media and communication law in an engaging and accessible way, keeping legal jargon to a minimum and highlighting real-life examples of legal conflicts.

Designed for students of communication that are new to law, this volume presents key principles and emphasizes the impact of timely, landmark cases on today’s media world. Providing an applied learning experience, this new edition offers expanded coverage of telecommunications, digital media law, and social media. It presents discussions of contemporary political, social, and cultural issues such as artificial intelligence, surveillance, cybersecurity, revenge porn, deepfakes, and disinformation campaigns. To encourage critical thinking, chapters include “From the Trenches” vignettes written by practitioners, “Global View” pieces comparing U.S. status to that in other countries, and “Ethical Dilemmas” ideal for class discussion.

Communication Law serves as a core textbook for undergraduate courses in communication and mass media law.

Online resources for instructors, including an Instructor’s Manual, Test Bank, PowerPoint slides, and Timelines are available at: www.routledge.com/9781032612980.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781032612980
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	04/24/2025
Edition description:	4th ed.
Pages:	496
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 10.00(h) x (d)

About the Author

Dom Caristi is a professor emeritus of media at Ball State University, USA.

William R. Davie is a professor of communication at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, USA.

Laurie Thomas Lee is a professor of broadcasting at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA.

Table of Contents

1. Sources of Law and Systems of Justice  2. First Amendment in Principle and Practice  3. Sedition and Censorship  4. Forums of Freedom  5. Libel  6. Privacy  7. Intellectual Property  8. Broadcasting and Telecommunications  9. Online Media 10. Obscenity and Indecency  11. Advertising Law  12. Media Business Law  13. Media and Courts  14. Freedom of Access

Editorial Reviews

I chose Communication Law: Practical Applications in the Digital Age because the textbook is accessible for my undergraduate law students. My students like the fact that the authors are able to clearly communicate often dense legalese, while still maintaining the integrity of the material.”

David J. Weinert, University of Miami, USA

“When I was assigned to teach Media Law, I approached it with great trepidation – then I found Communication Law and realized I knew a lot more about media law than I thought I did. Communication Law and my teaching reflected how the law is used in media instead of the other texts I reviewed which were like books for lawyers rather than journalists.”

Cliff Brockman, Wartburg College, USA

From the Publisher