Media Law and Regulation (M3104)

15 credits, Level 6

Autumn teaching

On this module, you’ll explore how the media has rights but can also infringe on the rights of others, especially privacy.

You’ll study laws like the Defamation Act 2013, Human Rights Act 1998, Communications Act 2003, and the Communications White Paper 2013.

You’ll also consider:

  • Articles 8 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
  • freedom of expression and privacy issues
  • how policy is applied through case law at the European Court of Human Right
  • European Union case law
  • the Charter of Fundamental Freedoms
  • media regulation in the European Commission, especially the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMS) 2010/13/EU.

You’ll gain an introduction to the legal issues in mass media, including:

  • freedom of expression, what it means and why it’s important
  • who has rights (freedom of expression or privacy) and who they apply to
  • different approaches to law on the Internet, including privacy rights
  • the tension between the protection of reputation and freedom of expression
  • the history of UK communications legislation and key case law
  • the dual role of media users as consumers and citizens, and the economic and human rights issues for each
  • EU and Council of Europe law and how this compares to US legislation and case law.

Teaching

50%: Lecture
50%: Seminar

Assessment

10%: Coursework (Report)
90%: Written assessment (Essay)

Contact hours and workload

This module is approximately 150 hours of work. This breaks down into about 26 hours of contact time and about 124 hours of independent study. The University may make minor variations to the contact hours for operational reasons, including timetabling requirements.

We regularly review our modules to incorporate student feedback, staff expertise, as well as the latest research and teaching methodology. We鈥檙e planning to run these modules in the academic year 2025/26. However, there may be changes to these modules in response to feedback, staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum.

We鈥檒l make sure to let you know of any material changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

Courses

This module is offered on the following courses: