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Media Law and Ethics
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Click here for the day-by-day course outline
Click here to download the syllabus (PDF)
Click here to download the research paper guidelines (PDF)
Click here to access the textbook home page with sample quizzes
Description of the Course:
“Examination of legal and ethical aspects of publishing and broadcasting. Emphasis on freedom of the press, copyright, libel, privacy, free press/fair trial, obscenity. Prerequisite: CA 100, CA 200, or instructor approval.” (Wartburg College Academic Catalog, 2006-2008)
Purposes and Objectives of the Course:
· to learn the basic principles of mass communication law and ethics
· to apply those concepts to specific situations communicators will encounter in the ‘real world’
· to anticipate evolution of legal doctrine and ethical applications for the future
Required Textbooks:
Students may wish to bring the textbook to class sessions when there is a reading assignment. There is one required textbook in this course:
· “Mass Media Law 2007-2008”, 15th edition, by Don R. Pember and Clay Calvert (McGraw-Hill, 2007)
In addition, students will be assigned other Supplemental Readings, available via the class web site (found on line at either http://www.JeffStein.org or http://faculty.wartburg.edu/stein). The lecture notes for each class will also be posted in advance on the class web site.
All lectures, lecture notes, original handouts and supplemental materials are Copyright © 2008 by Dr. Jeff Stein; use of the materials beyond the specific class setting without prior written consent is prohibited.
Attendance Policy:
Since this course is required of all Communication Arts majors, regular attendance is required. Attendance will be taken at the beginning of each class period; being tardy or absent may result in a deduction from the points you have earned in the course. If you are unable to attend due to illness or emergency, you must contact Dr. Stein in advance either at the phone number or e-mail address listed above in order to receive credit for assignments due that class period and to avoid losing points. The course is scheduled to meet Mondays-Wednesdays-Fridays from 2:30 p.m.-3:35 p.m. Students should be prepared to meet for the entire class period each day.
Plagiarism Policy:
“The Communication Arts Department is dedicated to the advancement of honest and accurate exchanges of information, ideas, and opinion.” (Wartburg College Academic Catalog, 2006-2008) Therefore, plagiarism—the use of ideas, materials, or words of others without proper attribution and acknowledgment—is improper and simply will not be tolerated. Minimum sanctions for this will include a grade of "F" for the course and referral of the matter to college officials.
The Wartburg Honor Council has asked faculty to remind students of their responsibility under the Wartburg Honor Code. The Honor Code is a statement of academic responsibilities supported by Wartburg College students and was originally created by Student Senate to embody the values of integrity and trust that are fundamental to Wartburg College. The official Honor Code, as approved by faculty and Student Senate, is as follows:
“As a matter of personal commitment, students, faculty, and staff of Wartburg College are expected to demonstrate four simple principles:
1.) All submitted work must be your own.
2.) When using the work or ideas of others, including fellow students, provide full credit through accurate citations.
3.) Ask for clarification if there is uncertainty about citation rules on a particular assignment.
4.) Maintain academic honesty on examinations and class assignments.”
Dr. Stein expects students to follow the Honor Code and reminds students of their responsibility to promote academic honesty by opposing cheating and plagiarism and reporting dishonest work.
In a related effort, Wartburg College has again this year invested in an affiliation with the national “TurnItIn.com” service, to allow students and faculty alike the opportunity to compare written assignments and papers with a database of primary sources and other student work. In a positive sense, this will allow students to catch inadvertent overquoting during the draft phase so their work will adhere to appropriate writing and citation standards; in addition, this will help Dr. Stein maintain academic integrity to protect all students. (The TurnItIn.com service will also be used by Dr. Stein to facilitate grading and posting of a grade book online.)
Each student will be responsible for activating their own account at TurnItIn.com so they may hand in their work, check grades, etc. All written work to be handed in by students will be submitted electronically via TurnItIn.com.
Requirements of the Course:
A class-by-class schedule is included within this Syllabus. The schedule is subject to change, based on the progress of class discussion, current events in the field, and the like. Any changes will be announced in class and by an e-mail message sent to each student. Students are presumed to frequently check their Wartburg e-mail account; if a student wishes that a different e-mail address be used, the student should notify Dr. Stein and register that alternate address with TurnItIn.com.
Examinations. There will be three examinations, as follows:
Examination #1 Wednesday, January 30
Examination #2 Friday, February 29
Examination #3 Tuesday, April 15 (3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
The examinations will be made up of multiple choice/matching and short answer/essay questions. The examinations will be closed book. Each examination is worth a maximum of 100 points (300 points total during the term). The examinations are not cumulative.
Quizzes. There will be a total of 10 multiple choice quizzes during the course of the term. The quizzes will be unannounced, and will be administered during the last five minutes of a class period. Each quiz is worth a maximum of 10 points (100 points total during the term), and will be over material assigned since the previous quiz. Missed quizzes cannot be made up.
Research Paper. Each student will be required to write a formal research paper focusing on an important U.S. Supreme Court case in mass media law. The paper must be 15 pages long not including bibliography and footnotes, double-spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides, using 12-point Times or Arial font. Students will choose their own respective cases, as approved in advance by Dr. Stein. A topic statement setting forth what case will be explored is due on Monday, January 14; a draft of the paper will be due on Friday, February 22; and the final paper will be due on Friday, March 28. All assignments are due at the beginning of class time on the date indicated, submitted electronically via TurnItIn.com. All components of the paper (topic statement, draft, final paper) will be graded and scored. The research paper will be worth a maximum of 100 points. Students will be expected to describe the case itself accurately and analyze its short-term and long-term impact on media law generally. This assignment is intended to fulfill the College’s “writing intensive” designation for this course; therefore, each student must turn in a paper and score a minimum of 60 out of the maximum total of 100 points. Failure to do so will lead to the student automatically receiving a grade of “F” for the course. A separate handout, including criteria Dr. Stein will use in grading, will be distributed in class.
Format. All written work must be typed and presented in a form which is appropriate for the assignment. Written work will be evaluated on grammar, punctuation, spelling, and general appearance. Gender neutral and non-sexist language must be used. An appropriate tone must be taken in all written work.
Class Preparation and Participation. All students are expected to read assigned chapters prior to class, and are expected to participate in the class discussion. Dr. Stein reserves the right to raise or lower your grade by one-third grade level (such as from B to B+, or from B to B-) based upon such intangibles as how well prepared you are for class, the amount of productive discussion you contribute to class, attendance, etc. Dr. Stein also reserves the right to not accept late assignments, or to accept late assignments but with reduced credit.
Overall Policy:
Dr. Stein encourages students to discuss concerns about the class (content, grading, etc.) at any time without fear of retribution. Dr. Stein will strive to promote a classroom environment that is inclusive and positive; students are asked and encouraged to join in the spirit of the educational enterprise. Any student who is offended by any material during the course is urged to bring the matter to Dr. Stein's attention. As a courtesy and as a proper showing of respect, Dr. Stein believes college students should refer to faculty members by their last name and a courtesy title (examples: Dr. Pier, Prof. Brockman), rather than merely by their first name or their last name; Dr. Stein will similarly refer to students with appropriate respect. Students will be advised in advance of any material that may be objectionable so those who choose to may be excused from class that day. Students must also acknowledge through signature their receipt of this syllabus and their acknowledgement and acceptance of the course provisions.
Accommodations Policy:
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) provides protection from illegal discrimination for qualified individuals with disabilities. Students requesting instructional accommodations due to disabilities must arrange for such accommodations by contacting the Pathways Center Associate for Testing Services & Advising, Carla Coates. She can be reached at the Pathways Center, Vogel Library 314, 352-8230, carla.coates@wartburg.edu. Accommodation must be requested and arranged PRIOR to assignment/examination due dates. Dr. Stein will make appropriate arrangements for students accordingly, after confirmation of qualification from the Pathways Center.
Dr. Stein’s Educational Philosophy:
Our time in this world is limited; therefore, it is my belief that we should all encourage ourselves to maximize our potential every day. This means putting forth the best effort possible in class. Obviously, none of us—teacher or student—can be at their “best” every day, but we are simply cheating ourselves if we do not strive to excel. We are also depriving others of the chance for meaningful discussion and interaction. It is commonly accepted that for every hour of time spent in class, students should spend roughly three hours outside of class studying and preparing. There are times when you will spend much more than that (such as when you are writing your research paper) and other times when you will spend less than that (such as when the reading assignment is short). However, my experience in teaching this class leads me to believe that this three-to-one ratio is a fair overall estimate of the time I spend preparing for lectures and grading papers, and how much time you should also spend learning the material.
Grading:
Grading will be on a straight percentage scale, based on points. Each assignment and exam will carry a certain number of points. Your grade will be based on the following scale:
Percentage Grade Point Range
93-100 A 465-500
90-92 A- 450-464
87-89 B+ 435-449
83-86 B 415-434
80-82 B- 400-414
77-79 C+ 385-399
73-76 C 365-384
70-72 C- 350-364
67-69 D+ 335-349
63-66 D 315-334
60-62 D- 300-314
59-below F 299-below
No individual extra credit will be allowed. Only the 500 points from the class assignments and examinations will count toward your final grade. The denotation corresponding to letter grades is as follows: A, distinguished performance; B, superior work; C, satisfactory achievement; D, minimal achievement; F, unsatisfactory achievement. (Wartburg College Academic Catalog, 2006-2008)
"Covering Iowa Law and Courts: A Guide for Journalists" by Dr. Stein
E-mail the professor jeff.stein@wartburg.edu
(All material on these websites, unless otherwise noted, is Copyright © 2008 by Dr. Jeff Stein, Communication Arts Department, Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa. Any use of the material, including by way of electronic retransmission, without the prior consent of the copyright holder is strictly prohibited.)
