Mass Communication Law in Virginia

MASS COMMUNICATION LAW IN VIRGINIA brings between two covers a valuable reference to state law affecting communication professionals and students. Written for the layperson, it examines issues that occur in daily news-gathering activities, such as libel, open records, and reporter privilege.

Media law is consistently evolving, and Virginia law is no exception. With timely updates covering this dynamic field, Mass Communication Law in Virginia will earn its place on every media professional's desk.

1. Virginia's Free Expression Heritage
2. Virginia's Courts
3. Restraints on Expression
4. Libel
5. Private People, Private Places and Peace of Mind
6. Access to Public Meetings and Official Documents
7. Protecting Information and Sources
8. Covering Courts in Virginia
9. Advertising Regulation
10. Pornography
11. Student Expression in Virginia

W. Wat Hopkins is a professor of communication at Virginia Tech, where he teaches journalism and communication law. He has a master’s degree in journalism and a Ph.D. degree in mass communication research, both from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He was a reporter for seven years in South Carolina and North Carolina before he began teaching. He taught journalism in North Carolina and Arkansas before moving to Virginia. He has written widely and has made a number of presentations on First Amendment topics. Mass Communication Law in Virginia is his third book. He is also editor and an author of a major national textbook on communication law. He and his wife, Roselynn, have three sons, one grandson and two granddaughters.

Cayce Myers is an assistant professor in the Department of Communication at Virginia Tech where he teaches public relations. Prior to entering academia he worked as an attorney in Georgia handling a variety of civil and criminal matters in federal and state courts. He has a Ph.D. in mass communication from the University of Georgia, Henry W. Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, an LL.M. from the University of Georgia School of Law, and a J.D. from Mercer University Walter F. George School of Law. His research focuses on laws affecting public relations practice, specifically regulations on social media, commercial speech, and the Internet. He is the legal research editor for the Institute for Public Relations.