A full day of practical training, taught by leading experts on digital media law, presented in conjunction with the UNC Center for Media Law & Policy, the Stanford Law School Center for Internet & Society and the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. This is a course, not a series of panels. Classes will cover the full range of legal issues that impact the professional lives of digital journalists: copyright, newsroom law, international media law, access and FOIA, and the legal issues involved in launching and running a digital news operation. The day will conclude with a plenary session dedicated to discussing how freedom of speech and freedom of the press are changing in a digital world. Lunch is also included.
Member price: $75
Non-member price: $100
The day starts with a welcome at 9:15 a.m. Classes and instructors include:
9:30-10:45 a.m.
Copyright Law
Explore what copyright protects, and learn about: the rights of copyright holders; the definition of “fair use”; key elements of freelance agreements; how to license your content for publication and acquire the right to use the content of others; Creative Commons licenses; and protection for service providers against liability for infringing content posted by users.
Jon Hart, Partner, Dow Lohnes, Washington, DC and General Counsel, Online News Association
Eric Lieberman, Vice President and Counsel, The Washington Post
11 a.m-12:15 p.m.
Launching a News Business
Follow the issues that start-up media ventures face, from concept to operation, including: naming a business; deciding between operating as a for-profit or non-profit, including the relevant tax issues; obtaining liability and media insurance; selecting a corporate form for a for-profit, including corporations and LLCs; issues in funding non-profits, including advertising, sales, and underwriting/sponsorships; and dealing with unrelated business income.
Corinne Antley, Partner, Dow Lohnes, Washington, DC
Neil Budde, CEO of Philadelphia Public Information Network
Kevin Davis, CEO, Investigative News Network
International (Class will run again at 2:45-4 p.m.), Garden Room AB
Managing your international legal risks: UK libel reforms; EU Right to be Forgotten; jurisdiction; and enforcement of foreign judgments.
Mark Stephens, CBE, Partner, Finers Stephens Innocent, London
Stuart Karle, Chief Operating Officer, News, Thomson Reuters
12:15-1:15 p.m.
Lunch with Mark Fiore, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Political Animator
Mark, who the Wall Street Journal has called “the undisputed guru of the form,” creates animated political cartoons in San Francisco, where his work has been featured on the San Francisco Chronicle’s website, SFGate.com, for more than 10 years. Mark will show us some of his work and talk about his craft. Come armed with questions.
1:15-2:30 p.m.
Newsroom Law
Learn the risks associated with publication and newsgathering, including libel, privacy, newsgathering torts, subpoena compliance, and media liability insurance. The class will also cover legal issues associated with managing and moderating online comments and other user submissions and practicing journalism in the cloud.
David Ardia, Assistant Professor, UNC School of Law
Karlene Goller, Vice President, Legal and Deputy General Counsel, the Los Angeles Times
2:45-4 p.m.
Access Law
Learn about your rights of access to courts, court records and other government records, including: how to respond to courtroom closures and gag orders; use of cameras and other communications devices in the courtroom; information accessible under state and federal freedom of information laws; preparing effective FOIA requests and fighting FOIA denials.
Tom Burke, U.C. Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, and Partner, Davis Wright Tremaine, San Francisco
David Bodney, Partner, Steptoe & Johnson, Phoenix
Mark Caramanica, Freedom of Information Director, The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
4:15-5:30 p.m.
Running a Digital News Business
Get up to speed on branding, trademarks, and domain names; advertising compliance and substantiation; email marketing; data collection, behavioral advertising and privacy; promotions and insurance coverage.
Scott Dailard, Member, Dow Lohnes, Washington, DC
Deirdre Sullivan, Senior Counsel, The New York Times Company
5:30-6:45 p.m.
Plenary
High-level discussion of law and journalism: tensions in our legal system/society that have been with us since nation’s founding law embodies economic assumptions and worldviews; increasing reliance on unfair competition theories of liability; freedom of speech and freedom of the press in a digital world, and journalism in the cloud.
Moderator: Tony Falzone, Deputy General Counsel, Pinterest and Non-Resident Fellow, Stanford Law School Center for Internet & Society
Mark Stephens, Eric Lieberman, Stuart Karle, David Ardia and Pam Samuelson, Professor of Law, U.C. Berkeley, and Faculty Director, Berkeley
