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The twelfth edition of this classic textbook provides an overview of communication and media law including the most current legal developments. It explains laws affecting the daily work of writers, broadcasters, public relations practitioners, photographers, bloggers and other public communicators. By providing statutes and cases in an accessible manner, even to students studying law for the first time, the authors ensure that students acquire a firm grasp of the legal issues affecting the media. The book examines legal topics such as libel, privacy, intellectual property, obscenity and access to information, considering the development and current standing of relevant laws and important cases. It examines how these laws affect public, political and commercial communication. The twelfth edition discusses hot topics such as proposals to modify Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, net neutrality legislation, participant monitoring, the "actual malice" standard for litigation against journalists and the Julian Assange Espionage Act prosecution. It also explores social media issues, such as whether social media use by public officials constitutes a public forum, liability for defamation and the operation of Facebook's Oversight Board. The Law of Public Communication is an ideal core textbook for undergraduate and graduate courses in communication law and mass media law. Online resources include a test bank and PowerPoint slides.