Columbia International Affairs Online: Working Papers

CIAO DATE: 08/2011

Media and the Law: An Overview of Legal Issues and Challenges

Peter Noorlander

July 2011

National Endowment for Democracy

Abstract

CIMA is pleased to release a new report, Media and the Law: An Overview of Legal Issues and Challenges, by Peter Noorlander, a lawyer specializing in media law and human rights and the legal director of the Media Legal Defence Initiative. The report examines the different kinds of laws that affect the media and explains how they are used in many countries to influence the operations of news outlets and the information they offer. It primarily focuses on restrictive laws and legal challenges faced by journalists in developing countries, although laws in developed countries dealing with issues such as libel and terrorism are also considered.