© 2013 – Routledge
Social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, and Flickr allow users to connect with one another and share information with the click of a mouse or a tap on a touchscreen—and have become vital tools for professionals in the news and strategic communication fields. But as rapidly as these services have grown in popularity, their legal ramifications aren’t widely understood. To what extent do communicators put themselves at risk for defamation and privacy lawsuits when they use these tools, and what rights do communicators have when other users talk about them on social networks? How can an entity maintain control of intellectual property issues—such as posting copyrighted videos and photographs—consistent with the developing law in this area? How and when can journalists and publicists use these tools to do their jobs without endangering their employers or clients?
In Social Media and the Law, eleven media law scholarsaddress these questions and more, including current issues like copyright, online impersonation, anonymity, cyberbullying, sexting, and WikiLeaks. Students and professional communicators alike need to be aware of laws relating to defamation, privacy, intellectual property, and government regulation—and this guidebook is here to help them navigate the tricky legal terrain of social media.
‘This handy little book provides a quick and useful introductory coverage of possible and potential harm that can be caused via wrongful internet communications’ - Ursula Smartt for Entertainment Law Review (2013)
Preface Daxton R. "Chip" Stewart 1. The Boundaries of Free Speech in Social Media Jennifer Jacobs Henderson 2. Defamation Derigan Silver 3. Privacy and Terms of Service Woodrow Hartzog 4. Intellectual Property Kathleen K. Olson 5. Commercial Speech and Federal Regulations Courtney Barclay 6. Government Information and Leaks David Cuillier 7. Student Speech Dan Kozlowski 8. Obscenity, Sexting, and Cyberbullying Amy Kristin Sanders 9. Social Media Use in Courtrooms Cathy Packer 10. Social Media Policies for Journalists Daxton R. "Chip" Stewart 11. Social Media Politics for Advertising and Public Relations Holly Kathleen Hall