The Internet brings opportunity and peril for media freedom and freedom of expression. It enables new forms of publication and extends the reach of traditional publishers, but its power increases the potential damage of harmful speech and invites state regulation and censorship as well as manipulation by private and commercial interests.
In jurisdictions around the world, courts, lawmakers and regulators grapple with these contradictions and challenges in different ways with different goals in mind. The media law reforms they are adopting or considering contain crucial lessons for those forming their own responses or who seek to understand how technology is driving such rapid change in how information and opinion are distributed or restricted.
In this book, many of the world's leading authorities examine the emerging landscape of reform in nations with variable political and legal contexts. They analyse developments particularly through the prisms of defamation and media regulation, but also explore the impact of technology on privacy law and national security.
Whether as jurists, lawmakers, legal practitioners or scholars, they are at the front lines of a story of epic change in how and why the Internet is changing the nature and raising the stakes of 21st century communication and expression.
Industry Reviews
Overall, this is a highly impressive book... The book would appeal not just to those focusing on UK common law, but also laws from numerous other jurisdictions, especially Asia... In summary, a clear 10/10 - and essential (absolutely essential!) reading for anyone interested in Asian defamation laws. -- James Griffin, University of Exeter * European Journal of Law and Technology *
This book is of great interest to researchers in the field of defamation laws, privacy and online challenges. The comparative elements in the text are particularly captivating. -- Ursula Smartt * Entertainment Law Review *
The internet has given the world the means to more fully realize the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas regardless of frontiers. But this giant step for freedom of information has come with equally giant challenges, including that of adapting laws and national jurisdiction to this borderless medium. Media Law and Policy in the Internet Age could not have come at a more pressing time. It provides a crucial and comparative insight into the defining issue of the decade. A must-read for anyone seeking to better comprehend the depth and breadth of the impact of the internet on our legal concepts, systems and reasoning. -- Dr Agnes Callamard, Director, Columbia Global Freedom of Expression, Columbia University
It has never been easier to communicate information; the internet and social media enable anyone to be a publisher or netizen. Laws to restrict communication adapt to this new context, creating fresh battlegrounds in the continuing fight to protect freedom of expression. This book shines a bright light on the issues at stake, with insights from the front lines by individuals dedicated to media law reforms. How the law affects free speech matters to us all. -- Heather Rogers, QC, One Brick Court, London, and co-author Duncan and Neill on Defamation (4th edn) (2015)
Media Law and Policy in the Internet Age represents a significant addition to the still limited literature on how we should approach media freedom globally. It coherently examines various internet-driven challenges and opportunities for media law reforms. This informatively edited volume provides an in-depth and wide-ranging insight into defamation, privacy, "open justice," the journalist's privilege, and more. The book should be essential reading for anyone interested in the international, foreign, and comparative framework for analyzing the internet's impact on media freedom and practice. -- Kyu Ho Youm, Professor and Jonathan Marshall First Amendment Chair, University of Oregon
The legal environment underlying serious journalism rarely gets enough attention, yet it is crucial to what we journalists do. The shifting laws that impact our reporting have grown markedly more complex in the digital age. Fortunately, we have a groundbreaking new resource in the field. In Media Law and Policy in the Internet Age, Doreen Weisenhaus, Simon Young and their colleagues chart the global trends affecting media freedom, libel law, and online expression. For those who care about the future of free expression, this is an invaluable addition. -- David E Kaplan, Executive Director, Global Investigative Journalism Network
