Friday, November 30, 2018

Media Law in the News IV

Part I: Summary
This past October, Gil Botello filed a lawsuit against Ted Sanchez for distributing false information to the San Bernardino community about him (Botello) during the San Bernardino City Council elections. Both candidates are running to represent Sanchez’s campaign mailer distributed filers that accused Botello of being charged with a criminal offense and portrayed Botello as “a deadbeat crook and cheat” when he filed for bankruptcy in 2009. In the lawsuit against Sanchez, Botello claims that the mailer “shows fake case numbers”, misconstruing Botello’s reputation even more.

When Sanchez was asked about Botello's rejection of the claims made in the mailer, Sanchez said that two independent background checks were made and showed a criminal case was made against Botello. However, Sanchez did not provide any physical evidence to support these "background checks" were done. The Southern California News Group searched databases but did not find anything that supported neither Botello's or Sanchez's claims.

After the flier had been given to residents, Sanchez was issued a cease and desist letter. However, Botello’s attorney says that afterward a second mailer was sent out by the committee that made even more defamatory statements. Botello says that these fliers will negatively affect how the 1st Ward residents will view and treat him. Botello is seeking $500,000 in damages.

Part II: Questions Raised


  • Did one or more people see this material published?
  • Is the defamatory material clearly written about the plaintiff?
  • Was a criminal case ever brought against Botello?
  • If the story about Botello was true, would the community think less of him? Would this information ruin/damage his reputation and future career choices?
  • Are Botello and Sanchez considered public figures or public officials?
  • Is the information on the campaign mailer considered a part of political speech?

Part III: Relevant Doctrine
Test for libel:
 Publication: Seen or heard by a third party
Identification: The story is “of and concerning” the plaintiff
Defamation: Injury to reputation, what other people think about the plaintiff
Fault:

  •            Actual Malice (wall of bricks)- Knowledge of falsity OR,
  •            Negligence (one brick)- Reckless disregard for the truth
·     Falsity: The statement is not “substantially true” if the “gist” of the statement is substantially true, then a court will not find it to be false.
·       Damages: Three different categories…
1.       Damages for the plaintiff’s actual injury to compensate the plaintiff for injuries (need to prove actual malice)
2.       Punitive damages, to punish the defendant (need to prove actual malice)
3.       Presumed Damages, can’t prove but presume loss

Applying the test:
Publication: The campaign mailer was sent out to the 1st Ward residents, so the court can assume at least one-third party has seen/heard about the flier.
Identification: The flier was specifically about candidate Gil Botello.
Defamation: The information on the flier (if false) would make a substantial and respectable minority of the community to think less of Botello because of the claims made. Botello would not be elected to represent residents in the San Bernardino City Council. The flier created distrust in the community against Botello, therefore, hurt his job.
Fault: The plaintiff must prove that Sanchez new of the damage he would cause him (Botello) in the election. Botello would need to provide evidence that there was never a criminal record/case against him.
Falsity: Botello would have to prove falsity because if the story would be accurate then that would have destroyed his chances of getting elected to the city council.  If the story were true it would affect his career and the possibility of ever getting elected.
Damages: In order to receive any punitive damages and/or presumed damages, Botello would need to prove actual malice. Presumed damages would mean that if Sanchez had not published defamatory against Botello, could Botello have potentially been elected to city council?


Part IV: Conclusion

After taking this lawsuit through the libel test, I think that if Botello can prove that there was no criminal case made against him the judge would rule in favor of him. When Sanchez was asked about the claims made he said that there were two background checks done on Botello but never provided any proof, so my guess is that he does not have physical evidence.

Referring to the questions raised above, I would consider Botello and Sanchez to be public figures because people in San Bernardino would pay attention if they would release a statement about their campaign for council member. Since neither of them has been elected to government they would not be considered public officials. I do not believe that the campaign mailer would be considered "political speech" because the information about Botello was not attacking his political platform just his personal history. If the candidates were face-to-face, arguing about political viewpoints and something defamatory was said, that would be protected political speech. 

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

Chapter 12: Advertising

Topic Overview:
This chapter defines commercial speech and in which situations it can be protected under the First Amendment. The Federal Trade Commission is in charge of overseeing companies and if the public has a complaint they will respond to those misleading/false or inappropriate advertising. The test that is used to determine whether it is legal for the government to regulate commercial speech is the Central Hudson test and it allows the government to regulate in the least restrictive way possible.
Defining Terms:

  • Federal Trade Commission: A federal agency created in 1914. Its purpose is to promote free and fair competition in interstate commerce; this includes preventing false and misleading advertising. 
  • Lanham Act: A federal law that regulates the trademark registration process but also contains a section permitting business competitors to sue one another for false advertising. 
  • Native Advertising: Ads designed to resemble the editorial content of the medium where they appear. The Federal Trade Commision has said this may be deceptive if it difficult for consumers to distinguish advertising from editorial content. 
  • Puffery: Involves advertising that exaggerates the merits of products or services in such a way that no reasonable person would take the claim seriously, from deception. 
  • Vice Products: Products related to activities generally considered unhealthy or immoral or whose use is restricted by age or other condition. The category includes alcohol, tobacco, firearms, sexually explicit materials, and drugs. 
  • Standing: The position of a plaintiff who has been injured or threatened with injury. No person is entitled to challenge the constitutionality of an ordinance or statute unless he or she has the required standing-that is, unless he or she has been affected by the ordinance or statute.
  • Opinion Letter: An informal FTC communication providing general advice about advertising techniques. 
  • Advisory Opinion: A FTC measure that offers formal guidance on whether a specific advertisement may be false or misleading and how to correct it. 
  • Industry Guides: In advertising a FTC measure that outlines the FTC's policies concerning a particular category of product or service. 
  • Trade Regulation Rules: A broadly worded statement by the FTC that outlines advertising requirements for a particular trade.
  • Voluntary Compliance: The general FTC practice to allow advertisers to follow FTC rules and correct violations before the commission takes action. 
  • Consent Order: An agreement between the FTC and an advertiser stipulating the terms that must be followed to address problematic advertising; also called a consent agreement. 
  • Cease and desist order: An administrative agency order prohibiting a person or business from continuing a particular course of conduct.
  • Litigated Order: A FTC order filed in administrative court and enforceable by the courts whose violation can result in penalties, including fines of up to $10,000 per day. 
  • Substantiation: The authority of the FTC to demand that an advertiser prove its advertised claims.
  • Corrective Advertising: The FTC power to require an advertiser to advertise or otherwise distribute information to correct false or misleading advertisement claims.


Important Cases:
Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corp. v. Public Service Commision of New York (1980): A utility company wanted to promote the use of electricity in violation of a state statute. The Supreme Court established a four-part test to determine the constitutionality of regulations on commercial speech.
Sorrell v. IMS Health Inc. (2011): Vermont law prohibited drug marketing & data mining companies from buying doctors' prescription records from pharmacies for marketing purposes. The state law restricted the sale or disclosure of pharmacy prescription records to brand-name drugs to protect doctor's privacy. The Supreme Court found the law to unconstitutional because it limited pharmacies' sale and distribution of information, content-based restriction.

Relevant Doctrine:
The Central Hudson Test After Sorrell:
Courts asked to rule on the constitutionality of a regulation on commercial speech must determine:
  1. Is the commercial speech false or related to an illegal activity? a) If yes, the speech may be banned or strictly regulated. b) If no, proceed with the test.
  2. Is the regulation of commercial speech based on its content? a) If yes, the court must apply heightened, or strict, scrutiny and presume that the rule is unconstitutional. b) If no, proceed with the test.
  3. Is the regulation of commercial speech content neutral? a) If yes, the court must apply the Central Hudson test and strike down the regulation unless the answer to all of the following is yes. 
- Does the rule relate to a significant government interest?
- Does the rule directly advance that government interest?
- Is the regulation unrelated to the suppression of speech?
- Does the regulation "fit" the government interest without unduly infringing on speech?

Controversies:
In April 2015, two In-N-Out employees wore a pin that had a number 15 to work, indicating their support to raise the minimum wage to $15. According to section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act, which gives the right for employees to express labor-related speech. However, In-N-Out could justify its uniform policy by showing substantial evidence with "special circumstances." The company has petitioned the Supreme Court for review because the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in favor of section 7 to defend the workers' rights.

My Questions/Concerns:


Reference:
Trager, Robert., Ross, Susan Dente., & Reynolds, Amy (2018), The Law of Journalism and Mass Communication. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 



Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Chapter 11: Intellectual Property


Topic Overview:
This chapter talks about how people are able to protect their work through copyright, trademark and patent law.  Copyright means that someone is able to protect their work from being copied or used. The work that creator has made legally belongs to a company and it lasts 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation. Furthermore, how to prove copyright infringement is discussed and fair use, which is the most common defense.


Defining Terms:

  • Intellectual Property: The legal category including copyright, trademark and patent law.
  • Copyright: An exclusive legal right used to protect intellectual creations from unauthorized use. 
  • Statute of Anne: This first copyright law, adopted in England in 1710, protected author's works if they registered them with the government.
  • Berne Convention: The primary international copyright treaty adopted by many countries in 1886 and by the U.S. in 1988.
  • Plagiarism: Using another's work or ideas without attribution.
  • Work made for hire: Work created when working for another person or company. The copyright in a work made for hire belongs to the employer, not the creator. 
  • Transmit Clause: Part of the 1976 Copyright Act that says a broadcast network is performing when it transmits content; a local broadcaster is performing when it transmits the network broadcast, and a cable tv system performs when it retransmits a broadcast to its subscribers. 
  • First-sale doctrine: Once a copyright owner sells a copy of a work, the new owner may possess, transfer or otherwise dispose of that copy without the copyright owner's permission. 
  • Public domain: The sphere that includes material not protected by copyright law and therefore available for use without the creator's permission.
  • Infringement: The unauthorized manufacture, sale or distribution of an item protected by copyright, patent or trademark law.
  • Statutory damages: Damages specified in certain laws. Under these laws, copyright being an example, a judge may award statutory damages even if the plaintiff is unable to prove actual damages. 
  • Contributory Infringement: The participation in, or contribution to, the infringing acts of another person. 
  • Fair Use: A test courts use to determine whether using another's copyrighted material without permission is legal or an infringement. Also used in trademark infringement cases. 
  • Safe Harbors: The takedown notification provision of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act that protects internet service providers and video-sharing websites from claims of infringement when they do not know about the infringement, do not earn money from the infringement and promptly comply with a takedown notice. 
  • Red Flag Knowledge: When an internet service provider or website is aware of facts that would make infringement obvious to a reasonable person.
  • Trademark: A word, name, symbol or design used to identify a company's goods and distinguish them from similar products other companies make. 
  • Disparaging Marks: A mark considered immoral, disparaging or deceptive. 
  • Tacking: Allows a trademark owner to slightly alter a trademark without abandoning ownership of the original mark. 

Important Cases:
Matal v. Tam (2017): The Supreme Court ruled that Patent and Trademark Office could not refuse to register trademarks that were offensive. 

American Broadcasting Companies Inc. v. Aereo Inc. (2014): Aereo's system of utilizing thousands of dime-sized antennas to offer its subscribers broadcast tv content over the internet violated the Transmit Clause and constituted a public performance of copyrighted works. the Court held that it did, comparing Aereo's service to a cable system.



Relevant Doctrine:
Infringement Copyright:
A copyright plaintiff must prove the following:
  1. The work used is protected by a valid copyright--meaning it is an original work fixed in a tangible medium.
  2. The plaintiff owns the copyright.
  3. The valid copyright is registered with the Copyright Office.
  4. And either: a) There is evidence the defendant directly copied the copyrighted work, or b) The infringer had access to the copyrighted work, and the two works are substantially similar. 



Controversies:

  • Ed Sheeran has been accused of copyright infringement of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get it On." The suit was filed last week in the 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals by Structured Asset Sales. They say Sheeran's song, "Thinking Out Aloud", has the “same melody, rhythms, harmonies, drums, bassline, backing chorus, tempo, syncopation and looping”. 



My Questions?:

  • If someone (like Sheeran), is accused of copyright infringement on a song, is it a subjective decision the judge makes or is there a clear distinguishing factor for music? 

References:


Trager, Robert., Ross, Susan Dente., & Reynolds, Amy (2018), The Law of Journalism and Mass Communication. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 

Friday, November 16, 2018

Media in the News III

Part I:

Photographer Sean R. Heavey filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against Netflix for using one of his photographs as concept art for Netflix's Stanger Things and Beyond Stranger Things without his permission. Heavey's photograph, "The Mothership", was taken in 2010 when he was chasing a storm in Montana. That same year, he registered the copyright for the photo with the United States Copyright Office. Additionally, Heavey states that he found his photograph being used in Netflix's movie, How It Ends.

Netflix however, is refusing to acknowledge that they used Heavey's work. Jarin Jackson, Netflix's attorney, said that the cloud formations are similar but nothing else. Jackson stated, "Copyright law, however, does not protect objects as they appear in nature." In the lawsuit, Heavey says that he has suffered damages since Netflix copied and distributed his photograph. He states that Netflix has appropriated his photograph and has opened it up for others to use it without his permission. Heavey filed this lawsuit to further prevent Netflix from using "The Mothership".

https://petapixel.com/2018/09/18/photographer-sues-netflix-for-using-his-storm-photo-for-stranger-things/

Stranger Things:


via GIPHY

"The Mothership":

How It Ends:





Part II: Legal Questions Raised


  • Did Netflix use Heavey's name, picture, likeness, voice, or identity for commercial or trade purposes without his permission?
  • Was Heavey emotionally harmed?
  • Is this an appropriation and right of publicity suit?
  • Can this photo be identified by another person and say that it matches Netflix's concept art?
  • Is Heavey considered "rich and famous"?
  • Has Heavey been financially harmed?
  • Does Netflix's attorney make a reasonable argument saying that copyright does not protect things seen in nature?
Part III: Relevant Doctrine

Appropriation
The plaintiff must prove:
  • Name, picture, likeness, voice, or identity used for commercial or trade purposes without consent
  • Publication: Widespread distribution
  • Identification: Of and concerning the plaintiff
Right to Publicity:
  • usually for the rich and famous
  • deals with financial harm
  • appropriating a person's right to profit
Applying it to Heavey's complaint...

Appropriation:
  • Technically, Sean R. Heavey's is not being used for appropriation but his work is for commercial purposes without his consent (assuming that the photo is the same as the concept art used by Netflix). 
  • Netflix has more than a million subscribers many of whom watched Stranger Things and How It Ends.
  • The article does not state that other people noticed this similarity between the photograph and the art but Heavey did notice it when he watched Beyond Stranger Things.
Right to Publicity:
  • Sean R. Heavey worked in the United States and internationally as well as published his work on various media platforms.
  • The professional photographer has been financially harmed because he has not received any profits/payment for Netflix's use of his photo for their concept art. They have advertised them image internationally and have over a million subscribers worldwide. 
  • Heavey does have a right to reap some of the profit that Netflix has made from his photograph because it has jeopardized how he can claim copyright. 
Part IV: Conclusion
In relation to the questions posed, Heavey was not emotionally harmed by the actions taken by Netflix but they do need to pay for the loss of profit they caused the photographer. Sean R. Heavey has published many of his works in newspapers, national and international magazines, etc. so, he can be considered a well-known professional photographer.

The doctrine does apply to Heavey's "The Mothership" photograph because there are major similarities between the two. I believe that it would depend on the judge's own opinion if the photograph relates the concept art. That is one of the main issues with these types of lawsuits because of its subjective evidence. If I were to decide, it does seem that both images are similar and Netflix would have to pay damages to Heavey because they used it in their advertisement of Stranger Things without the photographer's permission. However, it seems difficult to prove that Netflix appropriated "The Mothership" in How It Ends because the image is blurry and dark. It is very similar to general apocalyptic doom themes.


Wednesday, November 14, 2018

Chapter 10: Obscenity and Indecency

Topic Overview:
In this chapter, we will discuss what is defined by the federal government as obscene and indecent. Miller v. California set the Miller test, which is a three-part test that defines obscenity. Also, it goes further in detail about terms used in the Miller test like, prurient interest and patently offensive. Furthermore, it defines rules for tv and radio broadcasters. Variable obscenity that can be viewed by adults but cannot be distributed to minors.

Defining Terms:

  • Pornography: A vague-not legally precise-because it encompasses both protected and unprotected sexual material. 
  • Indecency: A narrow legal term referring to sexual expression and expletives inappropriate for children on broadcast radio and television. 
  • Obscenity: Defined as relating to sex in an indecent, very offensive, or shocking way. The legal definition comes from Miller v. California-material is determined to be obscene if it passes the Miller test. 
  • Hicklin Rule: Taken from a mid-19th-century English case and used in the US until the mid-20th-century, a rule that defines material as obscene if it tends to corrupt children. 
  • Prurient Interest: Lustful thoughts or sexual desires. 
  • Patently Offensive: Term describing material with hard-core sexual conduct.
  • Serious Social Value: Material cannot be found obscene if it has serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value determined using national, not local/community, standards. 
  • Variable Obscenity: The concept that sexually oriented material not obscene for adults may be obscene if distributed to minors. 
  • Safe Harbor Policy: A FCC policy designating 10pm to 6am as a time when broadcast radio and tv stations may air indecent material without violating federal law or FCC regulations. 
Important Cases:
Miller v. California (1973): Defendant Marvin Miller sent brochures in a mass mailing to advertise four "adult" books and a film in California. Three-part test that set down the definition of obscenity. 

Federal Communications Commission v. Pacifica Foundation (1978): The Supreme Court said indecent broadcast speech is material in "nonconformance with accepted standards of morality." Broadcasters have First Amendment protection, the Court noted, but the protection is limited because of spectrum scarcity. This allows courts to restrict indecency in broadcasting but not in other media. 

Federal Communications Commission v. Fox Televison Stations Inc. (2012): Supreme Court case that upheld regulations of the FCC that ban "fleeting expletives" on tv broadcasts.

Relevant Doctrine:
The Miller Test:
(All elements must be met)
  1. An average person, using contemporary local community standards, finds work, taken as a whole, appeals to prurient interest (morbid interest in sex)
  2. The material depicts a patently offensive way sexual conduct specifically defined by state law
  3. The material lacks serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value (SLAPS test).

Current Issues or Controversies:
During this last midterm cycle, the Democratic nominee for Senate, Beto O'Rourke of Texas "let loose an obscenity" during his concession speech against Republican nominee Ted Cruz. The news went crazy because O'Rourke dropped the F bomb on network tv.
My Questions/Concerns:

  • How are individual programs on networks like CBS or ABC, held accountable if an FCC regulation is broken?

References:
Trager, Robert., Ross, Susan Dente., & Reynolds, Amy (2018), The Law of Journalism and Mass Communication. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications. 

Friday, November 9, 2018

Media Law in the News II

Part I: Summary
On October 15th the Trump Administration announced a proposal that would make the Department of Health and Human Services demand that pharmaceutical companies include their manufacturer’s list price on drugs advertised in television commercials. The sole purpose of this proposal is to lower the price people have to pay for prescription drugs and biological products. This ruling would apply to drugs covered by Federal Health Insurance Programs. The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has the authority to regulate these companies. However, some argue that this regulation is unconstitutional on two different accounts. First, the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act nor the FDA mention that companies have to disclose prices in print or broadcast advertisements. Second, these companies can file a tort claiming the regulations are content-based.

https://www.bna.com/requiring-price-info-n73014483374/ 

Part II: Legal Questions Raised
·       Is this restriction based on speech content?
·       Does the government have a compelling interest to regulate pharmaceutical companies?
·       Is this regulation narrowly drawn?
·       Does this single out consumer advertisements?

Part III: Relevant Doctrine/ Precedent
Strict Scrutiny is the test for content-based restraints:

  • The government has a compelling interest in restricting speech. Defined as protecting the public safety and welfare. 
  • Narrowly drawn, least restrictive means.

Part IV: Conclusion
In this situation, the pharmaceutical companies could file a tort that states the new regulations are content-based restrictions. The regulations are making a lot of companies abide by Medicare parts and the Medicaid program, saying that “direct-to-consumer” T.V. advertisements of prescription drugs that are covered by Medicare and Medicaid must include the Wholesale Acquisition Cost (list price). The reasoning behind the Trump administration’s proposal is to improve Federal Health Insurance Programs so that citizens who use Medicare and Medicaid may be given important information on the products they consume. The government is making an effort to acknowledge the high costs consumers are burdened with when they have to pay out-of-pocket as well as bills from Medicare and Medicaid.

Furthermore, if these companies were to go to court, they would defend themselves by stating that the government does not have a compelling interest to rigidly apply this rule for advertisements. They do not want government programs to have the authority to restrict their ability to function as a business. Companies like Amgen Inc., an American owned company, have a lot of power over how they choose to sell to consumers and it is not always in the best of interest. Moreover, GlaxoSmithKline Plc. is a company owned in the United Kingdom that also does business in the United States and would be affected by this regulation. In the UK, there are different regulations on how companies disclose information to consumers. I think it is important to acknowledge different motivations companies like these would want to protect the way they operate and advertise to consumers. Therefore, the government is trying to look out for the interest of the people by making sure that pharmaceutical companies are not reasonably pricing their products.

This proposal is not content-based because when the strict scrutiny test applied, the government has the right to protect the welfare of the people and it is done in the least restrictive way possible. By making pharmaceutical companies show their list price the proposal is targeting broadcast advertisements, assuming that broadcast media has the largest audience. The federal government would need to make sure that this regulation would pass the First Amendment. If pharmaceutical companies were to challenge this regulation, the government would win the case. 

Monday, November 5, 2018

Chapter 9: Electronic Media Regulation

Topic Overview:
The FCC originally started as the Federal Radio Commission in 1927 but then changed as new media forms came about in 1934 becoming the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The point of the FCC is to regulate interstate and international communications. In this chapter, regulations that apply broadcasters and system operators will be discussed.


Defining Terms:

  • Federal Radio Commission: A federal agency established by Radio Acct of 1927 to oversee radio broadcasting. The Federal Communications Commission succeeded the Federal Radio Commission in 1934.
  • Federal Communications Commission: An independent U.S. government agency, directly, responsible to Congress, charged with regulating interstate and international communications by radio, television, wire, satellite, cable, and broadband. The Communications Act of 1934 established the Federal Communications Commission; its jurisdiction covers the 50 states, the District Columbia and U.S. possessions.  
  • Notice of proposed rulemaking: A notice issued by the FCC announcing that the commission is considering changing certain of its regulations or adopting new rules. 
  • Spectrum Scarcity: The limitation to the number of segments of the broadcast spectrum that may be used for radio or tv in a specific geographical area without causing interference. 
  • Broadband: A high-capacity transmission technique that uses a wide range of frequencies, which enables a large number of messages to communicate simultaneously. 
  • Fairness Doctrine: The FCC rule requiring broadcast stations to air programs discussing public issues & include a variety of views about controversial issues of public importance. 
  • Lowest Unit Rate: A station's min advertising rate & the max rate a broadcaster or cable system may charge a politician for advertising time during the 45 days before primary elections and the 60 days before general elections.
  • Zapple Rule: A political broadcasting rule that allows a candidate's supporters equal opportunity to use broadcast stations if the candidate's opponents' supporters use the stations. 
  • Must-carry Rule: Regulations enacted under the federal cable law that require multichannel video programming distributors to transmit local broadcast tv stations. 
  • Retransmission Consent: Part of the federal cable law allowing broadcast stations to negotiate. 
  • Satellite Market Modification Rule: Allows a tv station, satellite operator or county government to request the addition or deletion of communities from a broadcast station's local tv market to better reflect current market realities. 
  • PEG access channels: Channels that cable systems set aside for public, educational and government use. 
  • Online video distributor: Entities that provide video programming using the internet or internet protocol-based transmission paths provided by an outside entity.
  • Net Neutrality: The principle that holds that internet service providers cannot charge content providers to speed up the delivery of their goods-all treated equally.
Important Cases: 
Red Lion Broadcasting Co. Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission (1997): Established spectrum scarcity as the main justification for the government's intervention in broadcasting. The Supreme Court refused to accept the cable industry's argument that the must-carry rules were content specific. 

Turner Broadcasting System Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission: The Supreme Court held that cable operators were required to carry signals of local broadcast stations. Applied the First Amendment test it uses for print media to cable: if the regulation is content-neutral, apply an intermediate standard. 


Current Issues or Controversies: 
Net Neutrality, the Obama administration was on its way to helping internet usage become a utility to stop the monopoly holds of the companies providing service. Everyone is to be charged in the same way and given the same access. However, in 2017 the Trump administration started to deregulate and go back on open internet, what the Obama administration was trying to protect. 
My Questions/Concerns:


References:
Trager, Robert., Ross, Susan Dente., & Reynolds, Amy (2018), The Law of Journalism and Mass Communication. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.