This paper addresses the relationship between the First Amendment, monopoly of transmission media, and vertical integration of transmission and content provision. A survey of some of the incentives a profit-maximizing transmission monopolist may have with respect to content is followed by a discussion of how vertical integration affects those…

The driving force in federal licensing has been the combined political interests of legislators desirous of obtaining valuable prerogatives over the assignment of frequencies; incumbent broadcasters, ever vigilant in restricting new entry into broadcasting; and "public interest" lobbyists, whose self-interests lay in politicizing the…

The Supreme Court first affirmed the importance of academic freedom in 1957. Yet in subsequent cases, First Amendment precedent has displaced the concept of academic freedom to resolve disputes among competing interests on public campuses, primarily in favor of institutions. This paper draws on the concepts of path dependence and policy space to…

This analysis of First Amendment rights for the electronic media recounts the stories of the broadcasting/cable industry must-carry compromise of 1986 and the failed codification of the Fairness Doctrine in 1987. It is noted that these cases were peculiar because, in each instance, the most powerful media in the country willingly sought abridgment…

Five articles discuss the military-media relationship during the Persian Gulf War. Highlights include the development and implementation of the Pentagon's press policy; concerns of the media and military public affairs officers; first person accounts by journalists and a public affairs officer; and First Amendment principles. (29 references) (LRW)

The issue of whether the First Amendments right to freedom of speech applies to commercial vendors on campuses as it does to nonprofit solicitation is addressed and guidelines provided. Banning commercial solicitation from residence halls, but allowing it on a limited basis in campus centers is recommended. (Author/ABB)

As part of a larger study, researchers collected campus codes prohibiting hate crimes, which were then reviewed to determine whether the codes presented constitutional problems. Based on this review, the authors develop and present a model policy that is content neutral and does not use language that could be viewed as unconstitutionally vague or…

Examines First Amendment rights and protection as they relate to electronic communication. Topics include distinctions between print media and electronic media, analogies to more familiar technology, indecent versus obscene material, easier access to information via the Internet, and the need to design new policies that fit electronic media. (LRW)

In March and April 1974 guest lecturers from other universities were prevented from speaking at the University of Chicago and at Yale University because of disruptive demonstrations of protest. This article contains reports of committees from each university, requested by their respective presidents, regarding the issues involved in such…

The role of the library as an information agency is to buy and publicize the materials that will allow young people to make informed decisions about their own lives. (Author)

Intended to help clarify issues surrounding the right of publicity (protection against the unauthorized commercial appropriation of a person's name, likeness, achievements or characteristics), this paper provides explanations of how the right developed, what it protects, how it has been applied in various jurisdictions around the country, and the…

Discusses issues involved in public access to library materials and facilities and patron confidentiality. Topics discussed include children's access to adult materials; parents' right to know about their children's materials; First and Fourth Amendment protections; the Library Bill of Rights; and American Library Association (ALA) documents that…

Considers the role of public library trustees in censorship challenges. Topics addressed include the need for clear library policies concerning censorship; informing trustees about First Amendment rights, challenges regarding problem patrons and age restrictions, the trustee as citizen as well as board member, and the board's need for appropriate…

To assist public school administrators in identifying constitutionally permissible religious observances of national religious holidays, this paper analyzes a federal appellate court case, Florey v. Sioux Falls School District, in which it was found that public schools would not violate the First Amendment by observing religious holidays if the…

In October, 1998, Congress enacted the Child Online Protection Act and established the Commission on Online Child Protection (COPA) to study methods to help reduce access by minors to certain sexually explicit material, defined in the statute as harmful to minors. Congress directed the Commission to evaluate the accessibility, cost, and…