Media Law

What the page covers

The listed resources are mostly about how the law shapes what journalists can publish. Defamation is the biggest thread: flashcards on libel defences such as absolute and qualified privilege, the Media Law: Defamation deck, a quiz called Defamation In Ireland, and mind maps on Libel, Trade Libel and Constitutional Defamation.

Courts and reporting are the second thread. The flashcards on contempt cover strict liability, the effect on a jury and the Contempt of Court Act 1981. The mind map on Section 1 of the Sexual Offences Act 1992 lists what cannot be reported, such as a name, address, school or workplace, and a picture.

Where to start

If you are preparing for the NCTJ, begin with the NCTJ Law flashcards. They cover reporting restrictions in magistrates' courts, juveniles, sexual offences and contempt. The NCTJ Media Law deck is a good second pass.

If you want a wider overview first, open the Media Law flashcards, which run from essential law through each defamation defence, then look at the Media Law mind map.

Using quizzes and maps together

1. Read a mind map, such as Confidentiality or Contempt of Court, to see how the ideas connect.
2. Take a quiz, such as Injunctions or The Legal Process, to test what stuck.
3. Return to the flashcards for the items you missed.

The Media Law memory help quiz uses fill-in-the-blank prompts, which suit definitions such as hate speech.

Where it fits

This unit sits in the Commercial and Regulatory Law strand of Law (general and introduction). Some resources use US or Irish examples, so check that a deck matches the jurisdiction you are studying.

When you are ready, pick one topic, work through its map and cards, then build your own flashcards or notes to fill any gaps you find.