Communication Law and Media Policy

The definitions and regulations related to free speech, censorship and political communication are being challenged by the rapid advancement of information and communication technologies. Students interested in communication law and/or media policy can combine courses from communication, economics, journalism, law and political science to craft a minor highly relevant to careers in corporate communication, international copyright, intellectual property and entertainment law, domestic and international policy-making, and social and political advocacy.

  • Core Courses:
    COMM 322 Argumentation and Advocacy
    COMM 421 Legal Communication (prerequisite COMM 322)
    JOUR 371 Censorship and the Law: From the Press to Cyberspace
  • Electives (select 12 units from the following):
    • One course (4 units) must be in COMM:
      COMM 324 Intercultural Communication
      COMM 345 Social and Economic Implications of Communication Technologies
      COMM 370 The Rhetoric of Ideas: Ideology and Propaganda
      COMM 388 Ethics in Human Communication
      COMM 402 Public Communication Campaigns
      COMM 412 Communication and Social Movements
      COMM 422 Legal Issues and New Media
      COMM 471 Communication Systems and Technologies
      COMM 489 Campaign Communication
    • Two courses (8 units total) must be outside of COMM:
      ECON 330 The Political Economy of Institutions
      ECON 434 Economic Analysis of Law
      JOUR 373 The Ethics of Television Journalism
      JOUR 460 Social Responsibility of the News Media
      LAW 200x Law and Society
      LAW 201x Law and Politics: Electing a President
      POSC 441m Cultural Diversity and the Law
      POSC 442m Politics of Human Differences: Diversity and Discrimination