The most important concepts learned in the course are the civil law, criminal law and false light. The term “civil law” refers to a body of legislation that distinguishes itself from criminal law and business law by focusing on the rights and responsibilities of individuals and the interactions between them (McGrath & Koziol, 2017). One of the most pressing issues today is the potential for harm caused by social media postings and other forms of online content creation. As a result, a settlement may include monetary damages for anyone who experienced mental anguish or unwarranted invasion of privacy because of illegal communications. It may be crucial in the dissemination of public information as individuals become more cautious of what they communicate with each other. Threats against individuals, ethnic groups, their families, or racial groups may be illegal to disseminate in the media.
The purpose of criminal law is to bring perpetrators of wrongdoing to justice, denounce their activities, punish them, and educate the public and potential perpetrators about the consequences of breaking the law. Definitions of unlawful acts, rules for arresting and prosecuting suspects, and sentencing guidelines for offenders are all part of criminal law (Herring, 2019). Both traditional and online publishing may result in criminal penalties for disrupting the peace. Conventional forms of defamation may be perpetrated against persons and organizations over the internet with relative ease and accessibility. Most legal systems have long recognized criminal defamation and related offenses as illegal. Thus, the possibility of arrest for spreading libelous material over social media may induce individuals to think carefully before sharing certain kinds of content.
In false light, the respondent is accused of disseminating lies about the claimant that is offensive to the ordinary person. Invasion of privacy by false light occurs when a person is falsely portrayed as something they are not in writing or visual form (Le Morvan, 2018). A rational person would be deeply offended by the mistaken illusion, and the participant knows the perception is untrue or intervened with gross negligence. For any psychological trauma brought on by the falsehood’s dissemination, a petitioner might seek compensation under the doctrine of false light. Thus, people will carefully construct media and disseminate information to avoid such charges. Damages are assessed depending on the magnitude of the losses incurred by the petitioner.
The knowledge of law and ethics acquired is helpful in the current line of work. Journalists are urged to display ethical and lawful communication by reporting the news accurately and never using quotes or excerpts from sources that cannot credit their authors (Ward, 2021). They should not disclose information about a person’s private affairs if it causes shame or embarrassment. In the same spirit, a reporter should not impose on interviewing an individual who does not wish to do so. Understanding these ethical issues makes one act professionally and not inconvenience other people.
Everyone has a moral and legal obligation to be allowed to enjoy a safe and secure environment at home, where they raise their family in peace. An example of unethical behavior by journalists would be if they were to publish details of a married man’s private life, such as the reason for his divorce. This kind of journalist may also invade the privacy of the people they interview by demanding interviews with them. The reporters may use such news to acquire popularity at the expense of defaming the party involved. Ethical behavior and compliance with the law are prerequisites to effective journalism.
References
Herring, J. (2019). Criminal law. Red Globe Press.
Le Morvan, P. (2018). Information, privacy, and false light. Core Concepts and Contemporary Issues in Privacy, 79–90.
McGrath, C. P., & Koziol, H. (2017). Is style of reasoning a fundamental difference between the common law and the civil law? Civil Law Review, 17(2), 238–290.
Ward, S. J. A. (2021). Disrupting journalism ethics : Radical change on the frontier of digital media. Routledge.