Course outline
Code: CMN228
Title: Media Publishing: Law & Ethics
Faculty of: Arts and Business
School of: Communication and Creative Industries
Teaching Session: Semester 1
Year: 2016
Course Coordinator:
Jane Fynes-Clinton
Email:
EFynes@usc.edu.au
Phone:
07 5456 5054
Office:
K2.04A
1.
What is this course about?
1.1
Course description
New information technologies continually spawn legal risks and present ethical challenges to professional
communicators. A legal mistake—even if accidental—could cost millions of dollars. This course centres on
developing an essential understanding of the laws affecting professional communicators, including
defamation, contempt, copyright and privacy. The ethical frameworks that guide best professional practice
are also thoroughly explored and tested. An understanding of both the legal and ethical areas equips future
professional communicators to work more expertly and confidently.
1.2
Course content
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2.
12 units
Australia’s legal system and its difference with other nations
Contempt of court
Ethics and their practical applications
Defamation – definitions, defences and penalties
Copyright and intellectual property
Other legal perils for writers
Unit value
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Course Outline: CMN228 Media Publishing: Law & Ethics
3.
How does this course contribute to my learning?
Specific Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of
this course you should be able
to:
Research an ethical topic
affecting communications
professionals and orally
present differing views on
ethical considerations
Explain the legal system
elements, structures and
parameters as they apply to
writing.
Discuss, reflect on and apply
lessons of significant relevant
cases and legislation
Demonstrate how to produce
professional products that are
legally sound
4.
Assessment Tasks
Graduate Qualities
You will be assessed on the
learning outcome in task/s:
Completing these tasks successfully
will contribute to you becoming:
2
Ethical.
Knowledgeable.
1 and 3
Creative and critical thinkers.
Knowledgeable.
1, 2 and 3
Ethical.
Knowledgeable.
3
Empowered.
Knowledgeable.
Am I eligible to enrol in this course?
Refer to the Coursework Programs and Awards - Academic Policy for definitions of “pre-requisites, corequisites and anti-requisites”
4.1
Enrolment restrictions
Nil
4.2
Pre-requisites
Any 2 courses or enrolled in AR614 or AR541 or AR641 or AR841 or AR543 or AR643 or AR613 or AR505 or
AR605
4.3
Co-requisites
Nil
4.4
Anti-requisites
CMN528
4.5
Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills
N/A
5.
How am I going to be assessed?
5.1
Grading scale
Standard – High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL)
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Course Outline: CMN228 Media Publishing: Law & Ethics
5.2
Assessment tasks
Task
No.
Assessment
Tasks
1
Class test
2
Oral
Presentation
3
Final exam
Individual or
Group
Weighting
%
Individual
20%
Group
35%
Individual
45%
What is the
duration /
length?
5 questions
When should
I submit?
Week 5
Where
should I
submit it?
In tutorial
10 minutes,
including
questions
2 hours
Weeks 11, 12
In tutorial
Central
examination
period
In exam
venue
100%
Assessment Task 1: Class test
Goal:
Product:
Format:
To reflect basic legal concepts
Short answers
Short-answer, in-class test, answering five questions from a choice of eight. Questions
will be taken from course content up until week 5.
Criteria
The answers will be graded on the following: demonstrated understanding of relevant
legal issues; correct selection of appropriate information; clarity of expression;
demonstration of correct punctuation, spelling and grammar.
Generic skill assessed
Skill assessment level
Information literacy
Developing
Communication
Developing
Assessment Task 2: Oral Presentation
Goal:
To enable you to demonstrate your understanding and apply ethics in communication
professions.
Product: Oral presentation
Format:
In pairs, you will give a presentation on an ethical scenario selected from a list. One
mark will be given to the pair. You will reflect scholarly understanding and professional
application. You will explore the background, consider contributing factors and deliver
possible outcomes. As well as being assessed by your tutor, your presentation will be
give feedback by other class members. You will also provide feedback to the other
presenters.
Criteria
Organisation, content, presentation
Generic skill assessed
Skill assessment level
Information literacy
Developing
Communication
Developing
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Course Outline: CMN228 Media Publishing: Law & Ethics
Assessment Task 3: Final exam
Goal:
Product:
Format:
To demonstrate your understanding of the content explored in this course.
Final exam
The multiple-choice and short answer exam will be timetabled in the exam weeks at the
end of semester. There will be 120 minutes to complete the exam. Questions will be
drawn from all areas of the course.
Criteria
Each correct answer in the multiple choice section will be worth 1 per cent. Short
answer questions will be weighted as specified on the exam paper.
Generic skill assessed
Skill assessment level
Information literacy
Developing
5.3
Additional assessment requirements
ASSESSMENT GUIDE
The first assessment item has a detailed assessment guide that will be available on Blackboard. Please read
this guide carefully, as it will step you through what is required and provide you with appropriate checklists.
REFERENCING
You are required to use the Harvard system of referencing for this course. Links to referencing guides are
available on Blackboard for this course at on the USC website:
http://www.usc.edu.au/University/Library/Resources/Online/Referencing.htm
SafeAssign
In order to minimise incidents of plagiarism and collusion, this course may require that some of its
assessment tasks are submitted electronically via SafeAssign. This software allows for text comparisons to
be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work that SafeAssign has access to. If
required, details of how to submit via SafeAssign will be provided on the Blackboard site of the course.
Eligibility for Supplementary Assessment
Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:
a) The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%
b) The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
c) You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct
5.4
Submission penalties
Late submission of assessment tasks will be penalised at the following maximum rate:
 5% (of the assessment task’s identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified
as the due date for the assessment task.
 10% (of the assessment task’s identified value) for the third day
 20% (of the assessment task’s identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and
including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task.
 A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted after seven days from the date
identified as the due date for the assessment task.
Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late. To request an extension you must
contact your course coordinator to negotiate an outcome.
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Course Outline: CMN228 Media Publishing: Law & Ethics
6.
How is the course offered?
6.1
Directed study hours
On campus lecture: 1 hour per week
On campus tutorial: 2 hours per week
* Suggested allocation of off-campus time: minimum 12 hours per week (to encompass activities including
prescribed readings, formative assessment, research and summative assessment).
6.2
Teaching semester/session(s) offered
Semester 1
Semester 2
6.3
Course activities
There will be one lecture of one hour duration each week and one, two hour tutorial. Tutorials will be in a
seminar format. You will be expected to participate in the visit to courts.
Teaching
Week /
Module
What key concepts/content will I
learn?
1
Overview of the course. What is law?
Australian and other systems. Basic
legal principles.
How the law works in Australia.
Common and statute law. Criminal
and Civil Law. Court hierarchies.
Separation of powers, Principle of
open justice. Double jeopardy.
Freedom of speech. Role of juries.
Natural justice. Restrictions and
censorship. Juveniles, sex offences,
Family Court, injunctions, writs and
suppression orders.
Unnatural justice: legal dangers for
communications professionals.
2
3
4
Friday,
25th March
Good Friday
5
6
What activities will I engage in to learn the
concepts/content?
Directed Study
Independent Study
Activities
Activities
Lecture
As specified on
Blackboard
Lecture and tutorial.
Discussion, debate
and readings.
As specified on
Blackboard
Lecture, tutorial
Discussion, debate
and readings.
As specified on
Blackboard
Lecture and tutorial.
Tutorial groups visit
Maroochydore
Courthouse*. (* This
activity will depend
on courts sitting on
these dates and may
need to be moved)
Mid Semester Break
Unnatural justice: perjury reporting.
Lecture and tutorial.
Discussion, debate
and in-class test.
Freedom of Information/Right to
Lecture and tutorial.
Information/Privacy legislation and
Discussion, debate
issues around these laws.
and readings.
As specified on
Blackboard
As specified on
Blackboard
As specified on
Blackboard
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Course Outline: CMN228 Media Publishing: Law & Ethics
Teaching
Week /
Module
What key concepts/content will I
learn?
7
Defamation part 1
8
Monday,
25th April
ANZAC Day
Public
Holiday
9
Monday,
2nd May
Labour Day
Public
Holiday
10
Defamation part 2
What activities will I engage in to learn the
concepts/content?
Directed Study
Independent Study
Activities
Activities
Lecture and tutorial.
Discussion, debate
and readings.
Lecture and tutorial.
Discussion, debate
and readings.
As specified on
Blackboard
Lecture and tutorial.
Discussion, debate
and readings.
As specified on
Blackboard
Lecture and tutorial.
Discussion, debate
and readings.
11
Concept and effect of intellectual
Lecture and tutorial.
property laws
Oral presentations in
tutorials.
12
Other legal perils for writers and
Lecture and tutorial.
communications professionals
Oral presentations in
tutorials.
13
Revision and evaluation
Tutorial, revision and
exam familiarisation
Study Period
Central Examination Period
End of Semester Break
Please note that the course activities may be subject to variation.
As specified on
Blackboard
Ethics part 1
Ethics part 2
7.
What resources do I need to undertake this course?
7.1
Prescribed text(s)
As specified on
Blackboard
As specified on
Blackboard
As specified on
Blackboard
Please note there are no required texts for this course. Please see Blackboard for specified readings.
7.2
Required and recommended readings
Please note that the previous textbook for this course by Pearson & Polden was recently updated. An older
version may be in the library’s Reserve Collection. If you are a journalism student, you may opt to purchase
the new version instead of the prescribed text, as it would be a useful addition to your own professional
library. Students wishing to purchase a copy of the latest edition may do so through the Co-op Bookshop.
Author
Pearson, M and Polden, M
Year
2014, 5th
edition
Title
The Journalist’s Guide to
Media Law
Publisher
Allen and Unwin, Crows Nest,
NSW.
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Course Outline: CMN228 Media Publishing: Law & Ethics
Any further required and recommended readings will be found for this course on its Blackboard site. These
materials/readings will assist you in preparing for tutorials and assignments, and will provide further
information regarding particular aspects of your course.
7.3
Specific requirements
N/A
7.4
Risk management
There is minimal health and safety risk in this course. It is your responsibility to familiarise yourself with the
Health and Safety policies and procedures applicable within campus areas.
8.
How can I obtain help with my studies?
In the first instance you should contact your tutor, then the Course Coordinator. Student Life and Learning
provides additional assistance to all students through Peer Advisors and Academic Skills Advisors. You can
drop in or book an appointment. To book: Tel: +61 7 5430 1226 or Email:
StudentLifeandLearning@usc.edu.au
9.
Links to relevant University policies and procedures
For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:
 Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
 Review of Assessment and Final Grades
 Supplementary Assessment
 Administration of Central Examinations
 Deferred Examinations
 Student Academic Misconduct
 Students with a Disability
http://www.usc.edu.au/university/governance-and-executive/policies-and-procedures#academic-learningand-teaching
10.
Faculty specific information
LOCATING JOURNAL ARTICLES
If you have been notified that the journal articles in this course are available on e-reserve, use the on-line
library catalogue to find them. For journal articles not on e-reserve, click on the "Journals and Newspapers"
link on the Library Homepage. Enter the journal title e.g. History Australia, then search for the volume and
issue or keyword as needed.
ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEETS
The Faculty of Arts and Business assignment cover sheet can be found on Blackboard or on the USC Portal
at: Faculty of Arts and Business (Students) > Forms. It must be completed in full identifying student name,
assignment topic, tutor and tutorial time. This must be attached securely to the front of each assessment
item prior to submission. Claims of loss of assignments will not be considered unless supported by a
receipt.
HELP: If you are experiencing problems with your studies or academic work, consult your tutor in the first
instance or the Course Coordinator as quickly as possible.
DIFFICULTIES: If you are experiencing difficulties relating to teaching and assessment you should approach
your tutor in the first instance. If not satisfied after that you should approach in order your Course
Coordinator, Program Coordinator then Head of School.
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Course Outline: CMN228 Media Publishing: Law & Ethics
General enquiries and student support
Student Central - Building C
Tel: +61 7 5430 2890
Fax: +61 7 5430 2882
Email: studentcentral@usc.edu.au