MCOM 4003 - Gwen Gunnels

Exploitation: True Crime Cases Exploitation is defined as "the action or fact of treating someone unfairly in order to benefit from their work;" it is also defined as "the action of making use of and benefiting from recourses."   Regardless of someone's definition, exploitation is used every day in different circumstances, including in the news. For example, companies, politicians, and people, in general, will exploit a story for personal gain or promote their cause rather than to spread awareness or share the facts of an event. One instance of this is news channels extending fake news to make a point or gain favor for a political party.  One topic that is controversially exploited to a significant degree is true crime. Many people enjoy educating themselves through true crime stories because they find them entertaining or interesting. Not all entertainment programs that discuss true crime are exploitive; however, many can agree that some mediums will exploit t...

 Copyright and Fair Use  Copyright is a general term taught to young students all over the world. Merriam-Webster   describes copyright as " the exclusive legal right to reproduce, publish, sell, or distribute the matter and form of something (such as a literary, musical, or artistic work)." Copyright is essential, especially for writers and artists who do not want people to plagiarize their work or do not want people using their work for any reason. Although most copyright laws restrict people from using specific pieces, there is a term that many do not know, f air use. Fair use is described as " a legal doctrine that portions of copyrighted materials may be used without permission of the copyright owner provided the use is fair and reasonable, does not substantially impair the value of the materials, and does not curtail the profits reasonably expected by the owner." Fair use does not mean one can use what they want when they want; that would go against the funda...

 Reporter's Privilege  According to The First Amendment Encyclopedia , " The idea behind reporter's privilege is that journalists have a limited First Amendment right not to be forced to reveal information or confidential news sources in court." In other words, journalists have the right to protect their confidential sources, those who did not want their name mentioned in the journalist's work.  Reporter's privilege is different depending on the state . For example, Wyoming has no shield law, while Texas recognizes the privilege but allows exceptions. Under Arkansas law, reporter's privilege is a right found under Article 2, section 6 of the Arkansas Constitution , along with the United States Constitution. Article 2, section 6 of the Arkansas Constitution says:  "The liberty of the press shall forever remain inviolate. The free communication of thoughts and opinions, is one of the invaluable rights of man; and all persons may freely write and publish...