Skip to main content
Unit of study_

MECO3603: Media, Law and Ethics

Semester 1, 2024 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit will introduce students to the area of media, law and ethics through discussion of key legal, ethical, and cultural issues relevant to journalism and the professional fields of public communication. Students will be given an introductory survey of the main ethical theories in Western thought to establish a framework within which to examine specific ethical issues that relate to media. They will also be introduced to those aspects of the law that impinge on the work of media professionals.

Unit details and rules

Unit code MECO3603
Academic unit Media and Communications
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
MECO3003
Prerequisites
? 
18 credit points at 2000 level in Media and Communications
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Joyce Nip, joyce.nip@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Tiania Stevens, tiania.stevens@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s) Manan Luthra, manan.luthra@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Supervised exam
? 
Formal exam
Formal exam conducted on paper (Date and time to be set by Exam Office)
35% Formal exam period 1.5 hours
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO5
Presentation Comment piece + presentation
Online submission of comment piece to Canvas + In-class presentation
20% Multiple weeks 800 words + 7 minutes presentation
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO5 LO3 LO2
Assignment Essay
Online submission of essay to Canvas
45% Week 07
Due date: 12 Apr 2024 at 23:59
2000 words
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4

Assessment summary

Detailed information for each assessment can be found in the Canvas site for this unit.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

 

Distinction

75 - 84

 

Credit

65 - 74

 

Pass

50 - 64

 

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

According to FASS policy

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy 2023 reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy 2023. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction, unit overview Lecture (2 hr)  
Week 02 Introduction to media ethics Lecture (2 hr)  
Ethics and law issues from the perspective of media users Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 03 Introduction to media law Lecture (2 hr)  
Workshop on assignment requirements and academic honesty Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 04 The Public interest - Principles in practice Lecture (2 hr)  
Student presentations: Media ethics Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 05 Responsibility and accountability: Law and regulation Lecture (2 hr)  
Student presentations: Media law Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 06 Codes of ethics and self regulation Lecture (2 hr)  
Student presentations: The public interest Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 07 Contempt Lecture (2 hr)  
Student presentations: Responsibility and accountability Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 08 Defamation Lecture (2 hr)  
Student presentations: Codes of ethics and self regulation Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 09 Privacy Lecture (2 hr)  
Student presentations: Contempt Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 10 Vilification, hate speech and limits of free speech Lecture (2 hr)  
Student presentations: Defamation Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 11 Copyright and IP Lecture (2 hr)  
Student presentations: Privacy Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 12 Commercial media cultures and objectivity Lecture (2 hr)  
Student presentations: Vilification, hate speech and limits of free speech Tutorial (1 hr)  
Week 13 The future of media law and ethics? Lecture (2 hr)  
Student presentations: Copyright and IP Tutorial (1 hr)  

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
  • Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.
  • Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Readings for this unit can be accessed from the "Reading list" link on the Canvas site for this unit.

Required text: Pearson, M. & Polden, M. (2019). The Journalist's Guide to Media Law: a handbook for communicators in a digital world, 6th ed. Allen and Unwin.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. recognise and identify legal and ethical issues for media practitioners
  • LO2. possess basic legal literacy, sufficiently to know where and when to seek further advice
  • LO3. identify and draw on ethical theories and principles to think through ethical dilemmas for the media
  • LO4. understand concerns, key thinkers and key legal and ethical frameworks for reflective, responsible and professional public communicators
  • LO5. work collaboratively to resolve legal and ethical concerns in specific case studies.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

The assignments have been reverted back to what they were in semester 1, 2020.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.