Course coordinator
Please email Nat with any questions about the course or to arrange a consultation.
You will examine regulations, laws and ethical issues that impact on communication practitioners and journalists. The course covers a broad range of fields within modern democracies including free speech, privacy, contempt, defamation, copyright, freedom of information and confidentiality.
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to media regulation, law, and ethical frameworks essential for professionals engaged in the fields of journalism, advertising, broadcast, and digital media. The course is organised into three modules. The first module will explore regulatory approaches, principles, and issues related to legacy media (e.g., broadcasting, print) and new media (eg social media platforms). The second module will delve into specific laws and principles related to freedom of expression, freedom of information, whistleblower protection, defamation, privacy, and intellectual property. In Module 1 and 2, our goal will be both to understand the basics of media regulation and law in Australia and to apply a comparative lens to understand relevant laws in a global context. The final module will focus on the role of ethics for communication and media professionals. This module will also study classical ethical theories of duty-based ethics, consequentialism, and virtue ethics. The rationale for assessment in this course is based on evidence-based principles for effective learning in higher education.ᅠ
ᅠ
This is a Level 2 undergraduate course and students are assumed to have completed one year of studies in journalism and/or communication. In addition to an active interest in current events, students are also assumed to have a working knowledge of the major media organisations operating in Australia, their platforms and outputs.
DO NOT ENROL IN THIS COURSE IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST SEMESTER AT UQ.ᅠᅠ IT IS FOR SECOND AND THIRD YEAR STUDENTS ONLY.
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
COMU3800
Please email Nat with any questions about the course or to arrange a consultation.
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Whilst every effort is made to place students in their preferred activity, it is not always possible for a student to be enrolled in their tutorial of choice. If you require assistance, please ensure that you email timetabling.commarts@enquire.uq.edu.au from your UQ student email with:
Teaching staff do not have access to change tutorials or help with timetables; all timetabling changes must be processed through the Timetabling Team.
This course aims to equip students with practicalᅠknowledge, understanding and experience of media ethics, law and regulation sufficient forᅠentry level positions in the media and communication industries.ᅠ
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
understand the principles of self-regulation, co-regulation and statutory regulation in the Australian media and communication industries;
LO2.
recognise the application of laws relating to intellectual property, privacy, national security and defamation to the media and communication industries in Australia and other jurisdictions;
LO3.
critically evaluate the application of ethics, regulations, and the law to specific circumstances and cases in the media and communication industries, particularly in Australia;
LO4.
act ethically as a practitioner in journalism and professional communication.
Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
---|---|---|---|
Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Short report: Social media mis-information, dis-information & regulation case study | 25% 1200 words |
19/08/2024 4:00 pm |
Role play/ Simulation | Media law guide | 35% 1400 words |
30/09/2024 4:00 pm |
Examination |
Final exam
|
40% |
End of Semester Exam Period 2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024 |
19/08/2024 4:00 pm
Research an example of online dis-/mis-information. Prepare a report presenting your findings. You will need to include an analysis of the role of social media in the case and a proposal for how it could be better regulated to address the issue.
Refer to Blackboard for further details about what to include in the report, how it should be formatted, and how it will be assessed.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submit via TurnItIn.
TurnItIn Receipts:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using TurnItIn. Before submitting any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial.
When you successfully submit your assessment to TurnItIn you will see text confirming your submission is complete, before being redirected to your Assignment inbox. On this page you can:
If you cannot see your submission in your Assignment inbox you should regard your submission as unsuccessful. Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (e.g. screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).
If the submission was not successful:
Please visit this webpage for further advice on how to submit your TurnItIn assignment.
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
30/09/2024 4:00 pm
You are working as a training coordinator of the Human Resources department at a digital news platform. The Chief Learning Officer has tasked you with developing training materials regarding relevant laws. These training materials should serve as a resource for training new staff members in understanding and complying with these laws. As a pilot for their training program, you need to develop the training materials for one of the areas listed below:
You can choose to develop the training material for a jurisdiction you are interested in (e.g., GDPR in the EU; Defamation Law in China; FOI in Australia).
Please refer to Blackboard for further details about how to complete this assignment and how it will be assessed.
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submit via TurnItIn.
TurnItIn Receipts:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using TurnItIn. Before submitting any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial.
When you successfully submit your assessment to TurnItIn you will see text confirming your submission is complete, before being redirected to your Assignment inbox. On this page you can:
If you cannot see your submission in your Assignment inbox you should regard your submission as unsuccessful. Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (e.g. screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).
If the submission was not successful:
Please visit this webpage for further advice on how to submit your TurnItIn assignment.
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
End of Semester Exam Period
2/11/2024 - 16/11/2024
This assessment will test your understanding of the course content: media regulation, law, and ethics.
The examination will include a combination of multiple choice and short answer questions.
Please refer to Blackboard for further details on how to prepare for the exam.
This assessment task is to be completed in-person. The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT) tools will not be permitted. Any attempted use of AI or MT may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Planning time | 10 minutes |
---|---|
Duration | 120 minutes |
Calculator options | No calculators permitted |
Open/closed book | Closed Book examination - no written materials permitted |
Exam platform | Paper based |
Invigilation | Invigilated in person |
You may be able to defer this exam.
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
---|---|---|
1 (Low Fail) | 1 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Learning resources for this course are provided on Blackboard.
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
---|---|---|
Week 1 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Lecture |
Week 1 Lecture: Media regulation & legacy media |
Tutorial |
Week 1: NO TUTORIALS Tutorials start in Week 2. |
|
Week 2 (29 Jul - 04 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Week 2 Tutorial: Introduction and assessment overview Media regulation and legacy media |
Lecture |
Week 2 Lecture: Regulating social media Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
|
Week 3 (05 Aug - 11 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Week 3 Tutorial: Regulating social media Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Week 3 Lecture: Regulating AI Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
|
Week 4 (12 Aug - 18 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Week 4: NO TUTORIALS DUE TO PUBLIC HOLIDAY Learning outcomes: L01, L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Week 4 Lecture: Media law: Freedom of Information and National Security laws Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 5 (19 Aug - 25 Aug) |
Tutorial |
Week 5 Tutorial: Module introduction and assessment overview FOI and National Security laws Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Week 5 Lecture: Media law: Whistleblower Protection and Shield Laws Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 6 (26 Aug - 01 Sep) |
Tutorial |
Week 6 Tutorial: WBP & Shield Laws Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Week 6 Lecture: Media Law: Open Justice, Contempt and Suppression Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 7 (02 Sep - 08 Sep) |
Tutorial |
Week 7 Tutorial: Open Justice, Contempt, Suppression Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Week 7 Lecture: Media Law: Defamation Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 8 (09 Sep - 15 Sep) |
Tutorial |
Week 8 Tutorial: Defamation Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Week 8 Lecture: Media law: Privacy Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 9 (16 Sep - 22 Sep) |
Tutorial |
Week 9 Tutorial: Privacy Learning outcomes: L02, L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Week 9 Lecture: Intellectual Property; Introduction to Media Ethics' Learning outcomes: L03, L04 |
|
Mid Sem break (23 Sep - 29 Sep) |
Not Timetabled |
Mid-Semester Break |
Week 10 (30 Sep - 06 Oct) |
Tutorial |
Week 10: NO TUTORIALS Learning outcomes: L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Week 10 Lecture: Media Ethics: Deontology Learning outcomes: L03, L04 |
|
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
Tutorial |
Week 11 Tutorial: Deontology Learning outcomes: L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Week 11 Lecture: Media ethics: Consequentialism Learning outcomes: L03, L04 |
|
Week 12 (14 Oct - 20 Oct) |
Tutorial |
Week 12 Tutorial: Consequentialism Learning outcomes: L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Week 12 Lecture: Media ethics: Virtue ethics Learning outcomes: L03, L04 |
|
Week 13 (21 Oct - 27 Oct) |
Tutorial |
Week 13 Tutorial: Virtue ethics Learning outcomes: L03, L04 |
Lecture |
Week 13: NO LECTURE |
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.