Examination Period 3: 2016/17 Module Title Level Time Allowed Law and International Media Regulation Six One hour and thirty minutes Instructions to students: Enter your student number not your name on all answer books. Answer three questions: one compulsory question from Section A, one from Section B and one from Section C. Section A carries 20% of the overall marks. Section B carries 40% of the overall marks. Section C carries 40% of the overall marks. Begin each question in a separate answer book; label each answer book clearly with the number of the question you are answering. The same material should not constitute a substantial part of more than one question. Neither books nor notes may be taken into the examination. No. of Pages 6 No. of Questions 5 Page 1 of 6
Section A Answer one compulsory question. Question 1 Explain the meaning of the following legal and media regulation terms used by journalists: a. In camera b. Either-way offence c. Prima Facie d. Mitigation e. Sovereign grant f. Jigsaw identification g. Human Trafficking h. NATO i. Subterfuge j. Quango Total: 20 marks End of Section A Section B follows overleaf Page 2 of 6
Section B Answer one out of two questions. Question 2. You are sent to magistrates court to cover the day s cases. You notice that a courtroom normally not in use appears to be open. When you look inside you notice a man in the dock who you recognise as the Deputy Chief Constable of your local police force. A copy of the court lists on the wall confirms this, although no reference is made to his rank. An usher approaches you and tells you the court is sitting in closed session. a. What is your response to the usher in terms of access? (5 marks) You listen to the beginning of the case, in which the Deputy Chief Constable is accused of indecent assault. His solicitor makes an application to the magistrates for an order under Section 11 Contempt of Court Act 1981, asking that his client s name and address be withheld because of security concerns. b. What would your response be to this? What law or cases would you refer to? The Crown Prosecution Service solicitor outlines the case against the Deputy Chief Constable, and explains that he is accused of indecently assaulting a female detective chief inspector during an interview for a promotion. The Crown Prosecution Solicitor said: The accused indicated that the interview would go well, were the officer to acquiesce to his sexual demands. He then assaulted her. The Deputy Chief Constable s solicitor says that his client will be denying the offences and will choose trial at Crown Court. The magistrates remand the defendant on bail on condition that he does not approach the prosecution witnesses. c. What can be reported from this part of the hearing? Explain your answer. (20 marks) As the hearing draws to a close, a man bursts into the court and shouts at the defendant: You re a pervert, you ve ruined my daughter s life. The man is taken out by ushers. As the Deputy Chief Constable leaves the court, he turns to you and says: I m innocent, this whole thing is a dreadful mix-up, I didn t do anything wrong. d. What can you report from the man s outburst and the defendant s remarks? Explain your answer. (5 marks) Page 3 of 6
Question 3 You are employed at a daily paper which has become a web-first publication, ie, a story breaking too late in the day to catch the print deadline for that day s edition is placed on the newspaper s website. You are expected to upload both text, images and a short video package online for each story covered, where possible, and actively Tweet from your newspaper account as part of your role. a. What general reporting restrictions may you have to be aware of? (5 marks) At lunchtime on one day (too late to get into that day s paper) a woman is found dead in a suburban house and police announce a murder investigation has begun. At the crime scene at 5pm, Detective Superintendent Jones issues a police statement in which she says: This lady was well-known locally, and most people in the neighbourhood are very shocked to hear she is dead. The post mortem shows she died from head injuries. My officers need to hear from anyone who saw a man, who one witness has described as being in his thirties, with fair hair and a beard, leaving the house yesterday at around 4pm. We regard this man as a suspect. b. What information can you legally report from the scene and why? You transmit words and pictures electronically back to the office. Det Supt Jones s statement is added to the website and a page is made up including her statement for tomorrow s paper. At a press conference at 7am the following morning, which you film, the police announce that the dead woman s husband has been charged with murdering his wife and is to appear in court later that morning. He is named by police in that announcement, but no other information is given at this point. The paper s deadline for that day s edition is 7.30 am. c. Explain if and why any changes are now needed as regards the website coverage, including words, pictures and video and the report already prepared for that day s paper. You attend magistrates court later that day for the man accused of the murder to appear to hear charges against him. He is wearing police-issue overalls as his own clothes have been taken to be tested. He looks disheveled and mumbles to himself in the dock. Magistrates remand him into custody to appear at crown court at a later date. Question 3 continues overleaf Page 4 of 6
d. What can you report from the hearing in terms of live coverage and what can you write up about the case in the paper and online? (15 marks) End of Section B Section C follows overleaf Page 5 of 6
Section C Answer one question. Question 4 a. Explain what due impartiality and due accuracy mean in relation to UK news reporting, both in TV and online broadcasts. b. Explain what accuracy means for the printed and online press in the UK and give details of the possible outcomes if a publication, or broadcaster, is accused of inaccuracy. c. Give detail on what steps a multimedia reporter would take to ensure accuracy when reporting, including political or industrial cases. You should be referencing the regulation for print, online and broadcast and discuss any contemporary plans for changes in this regulation. d. What does in the public interest mean in relation to reporting in both print/online and broadcasting? Question 5 a. How does media regulation by the state affect the job of the reporter and an individual s freedom of expression and how do different countries use legislation to control the rights and obligations of the media in society? (20 marks) b. Use examples and case studies to show how different countries regulate the flow of information and discuss both how this is in the public interest and what effects press regulation may have on the democratic process. (20 marks) End of Section C End of Paper Page 6 of 6