CS3610: Information Crime, Law and Ethics

Dec 6, 2007

Blogs, Free Speech, and the Press (Guest: Beth Weise, USA Today)

Seminar 20 <<                     Seminar 21                    
[wiki]

Beth Weise, a science writer for USA Today, will be discussing how freedom of the press and free speach are being challenged by a dramatically expanded definition of the press that's made possible in the world of blogging. She will also take a critical look at blogging, showing why it is not always journalism and why, in her opinion, a free and open society still needs professional journalists.

Required Reading

• Reporters Committee Whitepaper, a general overview from The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press on confidentiality issues, which includes portions on electronic media.
• EFF's most recent blogger protection case, which gives a good legal look at the underlying legal issues in blogger protection.

  Reference

• McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Comm'n (93-986), 514 U.S. 334 (1995)

Topics that we may wish to add:

• Digital Signatures; eSign
• PKI
• Privacy Enhancing Technologies
• Clickfraud (Do we have any cases on it?)
• Online advertising
• Libel & Defamation
• Net Neutrality