Overview

This unit explains laws regulating and enabling speech and publication including those about defamation; racial, religious and other forms of discrimination and vilification; classifying and moderating media content; social media platforms terms of use; employment law; court reporting and contempt; radiofrequency spectrum management. This unit also demonstrates ways of understanding media law problems from different perspectives, including a business perspective. Students will also understand a rapidly changing and increasingly important field of law through a focus on topical issues.

Requisites

Prerequisites
LAW20024 Law and the Media

Rule

75 credit points in LAW units

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Teaching Period 3
Location
Online
Start and end dates
04-November-2024
09-February-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-November-2024
Census date
29-November-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
27-December-2024
Results released date
04-March-2025
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025
Teaching Period 2
Location
Online
Start and end dates
07-July-2025
05-October-2025
Last self-enrolment date
20-July-2025
Census date
01-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
22-August-2025
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Identify and evaluate the laws regulating and enabling speech and publication in terms of their impact on the media
  • Assess when and how to publish contentious material
  • Describe and assess the constraints imposed on the media in reporting
  • Research and apply aspects of media law to effectively advise clients on the publication of media material

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Class
3.00  12 weeks  36
Online
Lecture (asynchronous)
1.00  12 weeks  12
Unspecified Activities
Various
8.50  12 weeks  102
TOTAL     150

Swinburne Online

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online
Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning
11.50 12 weeks 138
Live Online
Class
1.00 12 weeks 12
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Research Assignment Individual  50 - 70%  1,2,3,4
Portfolio Individual  30 - 50%  1,2,3,4 

Content

  • Freedom of Expression and the Media
  • Media and the Courts: Open Justice and Contemp
  • Defamation: The Law of Reputation
  • The Media and Parliament: Parliamentary Privileges and Contempt
  • Offensive Publications
  • Regulation of the Broadcast Media

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.