Media Law & Ethics: Understanding Power and Responsibility

Course Description

This course will provide learners with the knowledge, awareness, reflective skills and professional habits needed to recognise and respond appropriately to ethical and legal issues arising in their daily journalistic work in Kenya, East Africa and in global contexts. Through the use of case studies and critical reflection, this course seeks to instill a sophisticated appreciation of ethical and legal principles, processes of reasoning and decision-making techniques that can be used to resolve possible tensions between formal and informal regulation, freedom of expression and the demands of everyday life that can interfere with a journalist’s ability to work responsibly.

Required Readings

	Chan-Meetoo, Christina (2013). Media ethics and regulation: Insights from Africa Call Number: P 92 .M43 2013
	Kelly McBride, Tom Rosenstiel (2013). The New Ethics of Journalism: Principles for the 21st Century. Sage Publications. Call Number: PN 4756 .N49 2014
	Keith Somerville (2011). Violence, hate speech and inflammatory broadcasting in Kenya: The problems of definition and identification. Ecquid Novi: African Journalism Studies. Volume 32, Issue 1, 2011.
	Steel, J (2012) Journalism and free speech. Routledge: USA & Canada. Call Number: PN 4855 .S75 2012