After completing this chapter you should be able to

• Identify the key protections of the First Amendment and to which forms of media they most directly apply
• Understand the most common misapplications of the First Amendment and explain why they are incorrect
• Identify and apply the key elements necessary for proving libel
• Identify and apply the most prominent defenses against a libel suit
• Outline the rules associated with copyright protection, including the benefits of it and the ways in which copyrighted content can be legally used
• Explain the benefits of ethics and how they can vary from media discipline to media discipline
• Understand the basic areas in which ethical dilemmas are likely to occur and how best to deal with them