8. Lesson 8 : Journalists and the Law

Legal restrictions and how journalists can avoid costly legal action. The dangers of libel and other pitfalls; qualified privilege and unintentional defamation; criminal libel; and the need for fairness and accuracy. Restrictions on court reporting, and the dangers of contempt of court when matters are sub judice. The Official Secrets Act, the rights of the Press and a brief look at copyright.
Assessment tasks include:
Tackling a specialist column or feature
Producing a safe, fair and accurate crime report
Defining legal terminology