ATS3445 Communication

ethics, law and policy

COORDINATOR: DR ELIZABETH BURNS COLEMAN
EMAIL: ELIZABETH.COLEMAN@MONASH.EDU
Introductions

 What is your name?

 What is one of the issues that concerns
you about communication on the
internet?
In this tutorial

 Unit outline
 Assessment
 The difference between law and morality
Getting started…

How did you go on the quiz after

this week’s lesson?
Which aspects of the readings did
you find interesting?
Ask your tutor questions about
what you didn’t understand.
 Weeks 2-6 Contemporary issues in
communication ethics

In this unit Weeks 7-8 Principles of media

regulation

Weeks 9-11 Classic arguments for

freedom of expression and their
problems

Weeks 12 Civility and the limits to

freedom of expression
Learning objectives
1. demonstrate an understanding of the main ideas informing policy and media debates about
communication
2. critically assess the arguments that justify freedom of expression, and the reasons this freedom
may be limited
3. understand basic moral frameworks and identify moral issues
4. articulate a coherent position about a current issue relating to freedom of expression
5. explain their ideas and justify their conclusions in oral and written contexts.

Assessment
Perusall reading: 15% – 10 am Wednesdays.
Lessons: 5% –10 am Wednesdays.
Poster presentation: 35% Monday 4 September
Final essay: 45% Monday 3 November
Marks for reading!

 It is possible to receive perfect marks on this assessment. Your goals are to

stimulate discussion by posting good questions and comments and to help others
by answering their questions.
 Read all the assessment. At least 1.5 hours.
 A minimum of 15 quality comments – a few sentences long –spaced throughout
the reading.
 In weeks 1 and 2, you will see your marks as you progress, to get a feel for the
assessment. After that, you won’t see your marks until after the Wednesday
deadline at 10 am.
 After the deadline for Perusall on Wednesday you will have a two-day period for
responses to other students. You can earn additional marks this way, but only as
many marks as you earned before the deadline. The earlier you respond, the more
marks you get on a sliding scale from Wednesday 10am to Friday 10am.
Assessment 2 - Poster
presentation
Develop a case study about an act/form of
expression that concerns you. This case should have
occurred within the last 3 years. Your task is to
identify different aspects of the case that may be
considered of relevance to its evaluation. Submit a
pdf of your poster and notes for your case study (do
not submit a finished essay or speech). Include full
citations (with page numbers) and a reference list.
You will present the poster in class from a
Jamboard between weeks 7-9.
Assessment 3

 Developing your case study, analyse the issues using the readings from the unit.
 Your task is to show that understand the required readings of the unit so the references
for this assessment will be restricted to the readings available on Perusall, the
recommended readings on the library page, and academic references or sources you
found for the case study. You need to be able to paraphrase, explain and discuss the
concepts and arguments in the readings.
 Present different perspectives on these issues fully and fairly before providing
your own perspective.
Help for assessments 2 and 3

 Consultation periods – Tuesdays 10-12.

 Exercises in tutorials.
 Library workshop – How to find a variety of resources. Easy steps to develop
your case study. Date to be advised.
 Library workshop – ‘Tricky’ citations and references (citing secondary sources,
sources in languages other than English, social media and online sources). How to
present your case study. Figures and tables. Date to be advised.
 Consultations with library study skills advisors.
What are your
questions?
Break?
Activity 1. Large group discussion. What
is so wrong here?
 A stranger paid for Esa's
groceries without his knowledge. Then h
e saw himself in a viral TikTok
ABC 23/7/22
 
Shunned by friends, abused by strangers:
The allegations that ‘destroyed’ a family’s
life
ABC 25/7/23
 No, women of a 'certain age' don't need y
our flowers or performative charity, so ta
ke your assumptions elsewhere
ABC 16/7/22
Revealed: The ‘demeaning, degrading an
d highly abusive’ texts a NSW politician s
ent to a federal MP
The Age 25/7/23
 Victim speaks after Tasmanian pair avoid
jail time for ‘bullying and menacing’ onli
ne campaign of abuse
ABC 25/7/23
Activity 2. Content regulations – In what way
do they reflect or protect public morality?

Your tutor will create groups and assign one topic to each group. In your group, make
a copy of the worksheet in the shared drive to share with each member in the group.
You can access it here. Search the internet to find out about laws and regulations on
these topics.
 Video games
 Pornography (child pornography? revenge pornography?)
 Sedition and terrorism
 Hate speech
 Religious vilification
 Blasphemy
Discussion questions.

 Note your group’s answers to these questions on the Google spread sheet. Link to
it from the Moodle page.
 Select a member of the group to report back to the broader class.
Questions
1. What are the laws/regulations that you found?
2. Is there, or has there been, controversy about them? Why?
3. How do they reflect or protect public morality?(Which moral principles?)
See you next week!