Last Updated: Wednesday, March 31, 2004

Any of these essays may be on the test. Any of them may be selected as the required essay. You will find at least three additional optional essays on the exam. REMEMBER, you must write on the required essay, and you WON'T know which one it is until, you see the exam!!

Good Luck!

• What are the legal problems associated with Napster?  How have they been resolved?  What are the continuing problems?  How does Napster illustrate legal problems associated with new digital technologies?
• Discuss the defenses which may be used in a privacy case. Be thorough and provide examples. How did these defenses apply or not apply in the Richard Jewel case. 
• Discuss the differences between a public and private person under current libel law?  What are the distinctions? Why are they important? How do they affect the pursuit and/or defense of such a case.  Be specific and cite at least some supportive cases. 
• Discuss the significance of Times v. Sullivan. What has it meant to the concepts of libel, privacy and advertising law. Describe the case and discuss its impact in each of those areas.
• Discuss the Food Lion case and how it applied to the issues of libel and privacy. Was it a slap suit? If so, why? Finally, discuss what you think we should have learned from this case about legal and ethical aspects of investigative reporting
• Discuss how local television station copyright concerns have altered or caused problems in the broadcast-cable relationships in electronic media?   What precipitated these changes or concerns?  What role did government take?  How has it been resolved?
• Discuss the copyright issues associated with NAPSTER and KAZAA.  What types of infringement issues resulted from these companies and their clients? How have those issues been mediated or resolved?
• What is the "broadcast flag"?  Why is it significant?  What are the issues involved in its implementation by the F.C.C.?
• What are the most significant advertising regulation issues associated with Internet and new media and why are they significant?  How are these issues being dealt with by the FTC or Congress?

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  Guidelines for study.

  Objective Part of the Exam:

  If I were you, I would print off the notes, read the required linked articles. I would then go back and hi-lite all of the terms in bold, noting their relationship to each other. Then put together an outline with key ideas, concepts, definitions, etc. Then quiz yourself on all the terms, etc. Flash cards and folded-page lists help a LOT. They show you what you don't know, and that's where your time and effort needs to be spent.

  After that is done, make out an exam. Pretend you are ME! What would an instructor ask on these topics? Make it HARD (I will.) Print off a couple of copies. Take the test yourself, and see how well you do. Then go back and learn what you don't know. I recommend that in your study groups, you give those exams to each other! There's no better way to find out if you know the material than to test yourself. DO NOT wait until the last night to do that however. You need a couple of other days to fill in the gaps in your understanding.

  Essay Part of the Exam:

  You already have the essays, so I expect that you will write clear and thorough ones. You don't have to write those out a head of time, but you DO need to make a detailed outline.

  Memorize the outline. Then when you get in class you're ready to go.

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  Each these study efforts should help with the other. If you've don't the top part, the essays should come together pretty fast. If you've done the essays first, a good part of the objective material will have been covered - but NOT ALL of it! Don't make that mistake.

  60% of the exam will be objective!

  Tips when you take the test....

  Do the objective portion first, and DO NOT skip the identify. Students miss a whole letter grade by not trying on those items. If you have studied, you should know those terms and definitions, at LEAST TRY! But DON'T write cute, smarty little funny answers when you obviously don't know the real one. Believe me, they're NOT funny after you've grade 40 exams! Additionally, you're not only wasting MY time, you're wasting YOURS! You need all the time you have to do the exam well. Cute answers don't get you anything but a frown from your professor.

  WRITE LEGIBLY and use a PEN ! If I can't read your essay, I can't give you a good grade. This may be far more important than you know. I know you're rushed, but do the best you can.

  PACE yourself. Generally you should be able to finish the objective portion of the exam in about 15 to 20 minutes. If you don't know an answer, don't waste time on it. Go on to the next question; you can come back later. Essays should not take more than 30 minutes if you know the material when you come in. Verbiage is not nearly as important as concrete facts and ideas!

  TRY TO DO THE BEARS! They can't hurt and always help, even if you only get a point or two.

  Hope this helps! Dr. Mc

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