Jour 122: MEDIA ETHICS AND LAW
http://www.lehigh.edu/~kko2/122
Class: 10:45-noon Tu, Th, Drown 210
Instructor: Dr. Kathy Olson
kko2@lehigh.edu
610-758-5825 (office)
Office hours: T, Th 12-4 and by appointment
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Can a journalist be forced to testify about a confidential source? How do we balance free speech rights and
national security? Freedoms of speech and press are central to the American democratic system and the
source of much of the media’s power. Journalists need to understand legal and ethical rules so they can
responsibly exercise their rights. Non-journalists are better users of the media when they have insight into
the laws and ethical standards that govern how the media operate.
By the end of the semester, you should have a better understanding of:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
How the American legal system works,
The sources and current state of First Amendment speech and press protections,
Legal constraints on the media,
Journalists’ codes of ethics and
Why law and ethics are not the same.
RESOURCES
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Robert Trager, Joseph Russomanno, Susan Dente Ross and Amy Reynolds, The Law of
Journalism and Mass Communication (4th ed., Sage/CQ Press, 2014)
Ron Smith, Ethics in Journalism (6th ed., 2008)
Handouts distributed in class, readings posted on the class website or Course Site, and blog posts
on the class blog (at http://lehighjour122.wordpress.com)
ASSIGNMENTS AND EXAMS
Exams: There will be two exams during the semester and a final exam during the final exam period. Do
not make travel arrangements until we know when our final exam will be held.
The exam format will include multiple-choice, short-answer and short essay questions and will focus on the
readings, lectures and what you have learned by discussing the issues in class. The format will include
questions that require the application of legal and ethical rules to hypothetical fact patterns. We will go
over some sample questions before the first test so you will be familiar with the format.
Ethics assignments: As we discuss the legal issues, we will also examine related ethical issues and explore
the rules and principles that ethical journalists practice. You will have the opportunity to examine some of
these issues on your own and to practice ethical decision-making in several assignments over the course of
the semester. We will discuss these assignments more fully later in the semester.
Attendance and participation: Much of our learning will take place by discussing legal and ethical issues
in the context of real-world situations, and you are expected to participate in class. Everyone is expected to
do the reading, attend class and participate in class discussion and in-class activities; therefore, you will
miss a lot if you're not in class every day.
Accommodations may be made for religious holidays; if you would like to be excused, please let me know
ahead of time. If you are an athlete, please let me know your schedule so we can make arrangements.
We have a lot of interesting material to cover, so our class time will be valuable. Please help me start class
on time by turning off and putting away your cell phone and other devices. Poor attendance, disruptions
(including use of an electronic device during class) and tardiness will hurt your final grade.
Laptops or iPads: Because the use of laptops or iPads can be a distraction to you, me and your
classmates, I generally discourage their use. If you need to use one in class, please sit in the BACK ROW.
GRADING
Your course grade will be determined on a 500-point scale:
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

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Exam 1 = 100
Exam 2 = 125
Final exam = 125
Ethics assignments = 120
In-class assignments and participation = 30
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
Grading scale
(percentages)
93+
90-92
87-89
83-86
80-82
77-79
73-76
70-72
67-69
63-66
60-62
59-
A
AB+
B
BC+
C
CD+
D
DF
Learning requires an environment of trust and mutual respect and everyone has
certain responsibilities to make this a successful class.
My responsibilities include respecting your integrity and honesty while at the
same time taking steps to create an atmosphere that prevents others from taking advantage of that trust and
respect by cheating. Your responsibilities are to hold yourself and your fellow students to those same high
standards. In this class, your responsibilities will include:



Keeping exams confidential by not discussing them with anyone else until ALL students have
completed them.
Doing original work. This means not getting unauthorized help on exams. Your ethics assignments
must be 100 percent your own work – while you may find it helpful to talk generally with others, make
sure that what you turn reflects your own thinking and your own writing.
Otherwise upholding the Lehigh University Code of Conduct, as outlined in your Student Handbook.
CLASS WEBSITE, COURSE SITE AND BLOG
We will use the class we site, which is online at http://www.lehigh.edu/~kko2/122, for our schedule and for
lecture materials. Reading assignments will also be posted on the page for each week on the site.
Handouts can generally be found on Course Site, so check both sites if you miss class. You should also
make a habit of checking the class blog, at http://lehighjour122.wordpress.com, to keep up with posts there.
ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you have a disability for which you are or may be requesting accommodations, please contact both your
instructor and the Office of Academic Support Services, University Center C212 (610-758-4152) as early
as possible in the semester. You must have documentation from the Academic Support Services office
before accommodations can be granted.
LEHIGH UNIVERSITY ENDORSES “THE PRINCIPLES OF OUR EQUITABLE COMMUNITY”
(http://www4.lehigh.edu/diversity/principles). We expect each member of this class to acknowledge and
practice these principles. Respect for each other and for differing viewpoints is a vital component of the
learning environment inside and outside the classroom.