Due Date: Tuesday, March 9th, in class.
Point Value: 100 points
THE ASSIGNMENT: Write a 6- to 8-page paper in which you explore a current issue in communication law and propose a means of resolving the issue. YOUR DISCUSSION OF THE ISSUE SHOULD BE THE HEART OF THE PAPER.
Please note: This is a communication law class. There are many interesting and important legal issues which are outside the boundaries of this class. Your paper topic must address a question related to the study of communication law. At the same time, there are many communication law issues that we do not cover in class. You are not limited to the topics or issues addressed in class materials.
1. Develop a topic concerning a current issue in mass media law. There are a vast number of possible topics. If you don't have a topic in mind, spend some time reading news magazines, trade publications, newspapers and other general interest publication. You are encouraged to talk to me about possible topics and to explore ways to narrow and sharpen the focus of your research.
2. Frame your topic in the form of question or a conclusion: "Should the federal government have the power to require pre-publication review as a condition of employment?" or "The Oregon Supreme Court's privacy decisions seriously threaten the individual's right to privacy." or "Government should have the power to prohibit pornographic expression".
3. Do enough library research to provide adequate understanding of the topic. There is no magic number of sources, but experience suggests that a solid research effort will enhance your paper. The best papers are built on a foundation of good research. Your research may include extensive use of the law library but you are not required to make extensive use of legal materials. I expect that you will take advantage of the growing amount of material available on the Internet and in on-line and CD-ROM data bases.
You must have a solid grasp of the legal issue you are discussing but beyond that you are free (and encouraged) to develop any research strategy that will enable you to make a persuasive case. In past terms, students have written outstanding papers primarily based on materials from Government Documents, personal interviews, trade organizations and other "non-legal" sources with minimal use of case law, law review articles or other legal materials.
4. Write a paper containing the following sections:
A. Introduction: State the topic of the paper, explain the importance of the topic and summarize your conclusion.
B. The Issue: Provide an overview of the various positions taken on the topic. For example, the tobacco industry takes one position on tobacco advertising and proponents of regulation take an opposite position. In this section you should briefly explain both positions.
C. Discussion: THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE PAPER. You must sort out the various claims made and decide which claims are important and valid. Or, you may decide that the existing debate is missing the real issue. After you have sorted out the issue, YOU MUST REACH A CONCLUSION AS TO HOW THE ISSUE SHOULD BE RESOLVED. Should a law be passed? Should the law be changed? PROPOSE A LEGAL SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEM.
D. Conclusion: Summarize your discussion and state your conclusion.
