Course

Unit 1

Indian Media and the Constitution: Media Roles, Responsibilities and Privileges, Fundamental Rights, Directive Principles of State Policy; Media Freedom in a Democracy

Unit 2

Indian Media and the State: Parliamentary Privileges and Contempt of Court, Official Secrets Act, Sedition laws, Defamation; Working Journalists Act, Copyright Act, Right to Information

Unit 3

Broadcasting Law: Press Council of India, Prasar Bharati Act, Cable TV Network (Regulation) Act, Advertising code, Cinematography Act 1952 and Film Censorship

Unit 4

Cyber Law: IT Act of 2000; Amendment of IT Act in 2008; Measures against digital piracy; Social- Media and OTT self-regulation.

Unit 5

Ethical Issues in Indian Media: Code of Ethics, Media Bias, Censorship, Privacy issues, Obscenity, Violence, Hate speech, Fake news and post-truth, Trial by media, Women and Children in media, Pressures on Media Freedom (Political, Commercial, Legal.

Course Objective:

The course will take students through the legal issues related to mass media. This will enable them to gain an understanding of media laws in India and their implications.

Course Outcomes:

The students will able:

CO1: To gain an understanding of media laws

CO2: To apprehend analytical knowledge of ethical issues related to media.

CO3: To apply media laws to case studies and evaluate the relative laws

CO4: To understand the merits and demerits of laws and ethical questions about media

CO5: To analyze and understand the essential role on accurate, responsible and ethical journalism across media platforms plays in a healthy democracy.

References:

1. Roger Patching and Martin Hirst- Journalism Ethics: Arguments and cases for the twenty-first century – Routledge
2. Chris Frost- Journalism Ethics and Regulation – Routledge
3. Genelle Belmas, Wayne Overbeck- Major Principles of Media Law – Wadsworth Publishing