Notes that despite recent United States Supreme Court decisions that have been unfavorable to the press, a First Amendment-based conditional privilege protecting the editorial process against governmental intrusion survives. (FL)

Argues that the doctrine of presumed harm, which was not addressed in "New York Times Co. v. Sullivan," remains a major problem in libel law. (FL)

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of the late 1980s appeared to pursue its own agenda of broadcast deregulation, notwithstanding congressional pressures. The apparent power shift is evident in a case study of the interactions between Congress and the FCC on the subject of children's television. In the early 1970s, the FCC tended to…

The concept of "objectivity" suggests that facts are selected and constructed according to formal rules by professional journalists. A comparison of American and Soviet concepts of news leads to the observation that both share similar claims to objectivity. The similarity defies whether objectivity assumes the form of facts detached from…

Terrorists seek recognition for their cause by using violence to create public fear which will force the government into repressive counter-measures. The mass media play a vital role in this strategy. News reports of terrorism may magnify the climate of fear, thereby augmenting the public's overreaction. Moreover, broadcast of terrorist acts may…

Noting that covering the United States Department of Education can pose special problems for journalists, this report provides information about the operations of the department and notes the strengths and weaknesses of information produced by and about it. The first three sections of the report discuss the current political atmosphere at the…

Pointing out the difficulties in passing from the industrial age to the information age, this paper discusses the advent of new technologies and worldwide recognition of the significant influence technology will have for education. Conferences resulting in development actions aimed at introducing new information technologies into education and…

Presents evidence of the demise of Libertarianism in the U.S. mass media system and proposes an "elite power group" model as an alternative explanation of the working of the mass media in the United States. (MG)

An examination of the changes in press laws after India gained its independence in 1947 shows how a free press is shaped mostly by the structure and evolution of the democratic society that it is intended to serve. The most salient features that have characterized the Indian press, from the early nineteenth century to the present day, are…

A study of the wartime press suggests that the plan to incarcerate Japanese Americans (under Executive Order 9066) was government-initiated, that the public and the press initially disapproved of such treatment, and that events emanating from the government influenced shifts in press and public opinion that allowed implementation of the plan.…

Discusses the use of video and local television for community development in developing nations, taken from his report, "Television for Development: The African Experience." Highlights include the use of media by untrained people, the importance of communication, the need for political support, and the advantages and disadvantages of…

In 1992, a communications researcher had the opportunity to spend seven months as a visiting professor at the University of Haifa in Israel. From the standpoint of an observer of media coverage, the timing and location of her stay was fortuitous. Israelis were conducting an election off schedule, and at the same time the United States was…

To explain how and why the Portuguese mass media constitute a frustrated Fourth Estate, this monograph summarizes the history and development of Portuguese media. The first section summarized the history of media legislation that has confronted Portuguese journalists and stunted the development of journalistic tradition. The second section…