COMM 454 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Jerry Falwell, Larry Flynt, Westboro Baptist Church
16 Dec 2016
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Classroom Notes: Lecture 4 - 10/5/15
TEST: All Essay, 2 different questions per chapter – answer only one – example, what are the
various intrusions of privacy that are explained in chapter 5? Read summaries after each
chapter. Look at landmark court cases per chapter (in grey box). Contemporary discussion
questions with also be on exam, pick one – how does discussion in class apply to this?
Test on Tuesday Oct. 13th
**Buy Blue Book
• Important Court Cases
o Griswald v. Connecticut – Connecticut prevented individuals from possessing
contraceptives.
❖ Opened up a case about privacy – a woman has the right to have privacy
etee theseles ad their dotor…
o Laurence v. Texas – Supreme Court said again that the constitution prevents
their intrusion on private areas of our lives, for example against gay people.
❖ Driig the go’t out of edroos took 40 ears, all o the idea of
respecting privacy
• Four Common Law Privacy Torts:
o Disclosure: Has to be highly offensive to someone and can not be newsworthy*
o False-light: Distorts what really happened, can be too positive or negative
o Appropriation: Usig soeoe’s life for oerial purposes ithout
permission
o Intrusion: Bringing publicity that you want in your home, for example tapping
phoe lies ad settig up ideo aeras i soeoe’s hoe he the do’t
know
• Defenses in Privacy Action:
o Consent: Ex; Prime Time did a segment in which they argued that an
ophthalmologist was doing unnecessary surgeries for money. They offered him
an interie ut did’t tell hi hat it as reall aout… Epose that as ot
done with permission.
o Newsworthiness: If someone intrudes on your life, because it is of public interest
then you will lose your suit. Ex; A man in a crowd watching Pres. Ford saw
someone else was going to shoot the Pres. His hometown newspaper mentioned
he was gay, but he had friends and relatives he had not told. So he was a hero
but was outed. He sued and lost because he was well known in gay circles, not a
close guarded secret. He put himself in a newsworthiness situation – lost suit.
o The US Constitution: If you are intruded upon in a way that is acceptable in the
constitution, you lose even if you have a case. Ex; Major news organizations do
ot idetif ae the itis of seual assault or rape. Rapists/assaulter’s
name gets named in paper but not the victim. In Georgia, a news station named
a woman that was raped and killed. State passed law that it would illegal to
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Look at landmark court cases per chapter (in grey box). Important court cases: griswald v. connecticut connecticut prevented individuals from possessing contraceptives. Ex; a man in a crowd watching pres. Ford saw someone else was going to shoot the pres. His hometown newspaper mentioned he was gay, but he had friends and relatives he had not told. So he was a hero but was outed. He sued and lost because he was well known in gay circles, not a close guarded secret. He put himself in a newsworthiness situation lost suit: the us constitution: if you are intruded upon in a way that is acceptable in the constitution, you lose even if you have a case. Ex; major news organizations do (cid:374)ot ide(cid:374)tif(cid:455) (cid:271)(cid:455) (cid:374)a(cid:373)e the (cid:448)i(cid:272)ti(cid:373)s of se(cid:454)ual assault or rape. Rapists/assaulter"s name gets named in paper but not the victim. In georgia, a news station named a woman that was raped and killed.
