The First Amendment and the Fourth Estate: The Law of Mass Media

by T. Barton Carter, Marc A. Franklin, Jay B. Wright

This book takes an in-depth look at communications law, with an emphasis on First Amendment cases. The ninth edition of this book features more than 30 Supreme Court cases, and the decisions that help define communications law as we know it today. In this work, the authors show how communciations law poses difficult dilemmas as the courts try to balance the rights of the media against the rights of those affected by the media.

1233 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1985

About the author

Former Head of the Law Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication as well as of the Law and Policy Division of the Broadcast Education Association, Professor Carter is a practicing attorney specializing in communication law and new communication technologies. He also coordinates the JD/MS in Mass Communication dual degree program and teaches courses in communication law and telecommunication regulation at the Boston University School of Law. He has co-authored three textbooks: The First Amendment and the Fourth Estate, The First Amendment and the Fifth Estate and Mass Communication Law in a Nutshell. He has also written articles and book chapters on libel, media access, free press/fair trial, obscenity, regulation of new communication technologies, the Patriot Act and rights protection for computer software.

Reviews

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

More people should read and understand the meaning and impact of free speech, especially in the current world of social media. We seem to have a disassociation with our private and public social media personas. We also don’t understand that free speech comes with enormous responsibility.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

The most important textbook from my time in college (J-school/pre-law).

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for class and while I enjoyed the content, it was a slog to get through. But it's a textbook, so there's that.

[Simone · Rating 3 out of 5]

poorly written, but really interested case law on first amendment issues.

[Jesse Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good selection of cases, but terrible layout and discussion.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Believe it or not, I use this book all the time at work for reference.