BTMM 8252

Legal and Ethical Issues in New Media

Final Paper

Graduate students will write a research paper on some aspect of the legal or ethical issues surrounding the new media in the United States. Obviously, this is a broad topic which allows a great deal of flexibility. You might examine, for example, the ethical implications of online surveillance; the effect of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 on the new media landscape; the changing nature of media law in the borderless realm of cyberspace; or the impact of federal courts’ decisions to prosecute illegal downloading. These are but a few ideas. I’m flexible about topics, but I must approve your topic.

You must decide upon your topic NO LATER than March 17, 2008.

Please provide a paper proposal (in writing) which includes a- the nature of your project; b- what questions you propose to answer; c- what method you choose to answer the questions; d- what larger purpose does the research serve?

Your paper needs to be at least 18 pages in length NOT including references, cover page, etc. Remember, this assignment is worth 200 points, and you’ll be graded on the following criteria: understanding of legal principles, clarity of thought, organization, depth of analysis, general grammatical correctness.

The paper is due by 3:00pm on Friday, May 9, 2008.

No late submissions will be accepted. No e-mail submissions will be accepted.