Media Law and Ethics

Defamation, privacy, contempt and the defences that matter.

What the course covers

8 modules, 32 topics. Open any one to see what sits inside it.

1. 1.1 Free expression, and its limits
2. 1.2 Where media law comes from in your jurisdiction
3. 1.3 Regulators, courts and self-regulation
4. 1.4 Liability: who is responsible for what
1. 2.1 What makes a statement defamatory
2. 2.2 Identification and publication
3. 2.3 The defences available
4. 2.4 Damages, apologies and settlement
1. 3.1 Reasonable expectation of privacy
2. 3.2 Public interest as a test
3. 3.3 Photography and filming, in public and private
4. 3.4 Data protection duties for journalists
1. 4.1 Open justice, and its exceptions
2. 4.2 Contempt, and prejudicing a trial
3. 4.3 Reporting restrictions and anonymity orders
4. 4.4 Reporting on children and on sexual offences
1. 5.1 Source protection in law
2. 5.2 Production orders and seizures
3. 5.3 Surveillance of journalists
4. 5.4 Practical safeguards
1. 6.1 Copyright in text, image and footage
2. 6.2 Fair dealing and quotation
3. 6.3 User-generated content and permission
4. 6.4 Licensing and syndication
1. 7.1 Platform liability and takedown
2. 7.2 Comments, moderation and republication
3. 7.3 Jurisdiction when you publish globally
4. 7.4 The archive, and requests to remove from it
1. 8.1 Legal, but wrong
2. 8.2 Codes of conduct and complaints bodies
3. 8.3 Transparency, corrections and accountability
4. 8.4 Building editorial judgement

By the end of this course you will be able to explain and apply:

Two hours, not two months Eight short modules. Finish in a day, or do one module a night for a week.

Depth beyond your coursework Pitched above taught content, for research, leadership and the work that follows the degree.

Built for a phone Watch on the bus, pause mid-module, pick up where you stopped. No download, no lab.

A certificate that can be checked Every certificate carries an ID your college or an employer can verify on our site.

About two hours in total — eight modules of roughly fifteen minutes. You can do it in one sitting or spread it across a week. Your place is saved either way.
No. There is no prerequisite course and no software to install. A phone, tablet or computer with an internet connection is enough.
Yes. This course is placed at Master's Degree for India, and the content is written for that level. If you are at a different stage, change your level at the top of the page and the courses will change with it.
A certificate for the course, carrying an ID that your college or an employer can check on our verification page. You keep access to the material afterwards.
Yes — ₹450 for this course on its own, or ₹1,450 for all five in this set, which works out cheaper if you want more than one.
There is a short quiz at the end of each module so you can check what stuck. It is not timed and you can retake it.
Change your country using the picker at the top. Level names, degree names and prices all switch to that country, and the courses adjust to its education system.

Wording shown for India. Pick a different country at the top and the terms, currency and programme names change with it.