Includes bibliographical references and index.

"The phrase "now, more than ever" is somewhat of a cliché. Writers deploy it to emphasize the importance of people either knowing and understanding an essential principle or embracing and practicing a set of imperative beliefs. As the authors draft this preface in the summer of 2025, however, it's no understatement to assert that now, more than ever, college students should understand fundamental principles and rules of media and communications law, including the First Amendment guarantees of free speech, press, petition and assembly that often underlie it. That's especially true for students in the fields of journalism, advertising, public relations, telecommunications, media studies and related communication-based majors. If that includes you, then you're preparing to enter a "speech" business. You'll thus depend on the First Amendment to protect against government censorship of your various "speech" products-articles, advertisements, commercials, press releases, statements to the public and the press, social media posts, podcasts, interviews, newscasts, television shows, documentaries, movies, etc. You also should know key regulatory, statutory and common law principles of media and communications law to avoid expensive and time-consuming litigation potentially spawned by your speech products. The principles, theories, rules, judicial opinions, statutes and other matters covered in this book-although certainly not representing and not intended to be legal advice-are designed to give you, if you devote significant time to reading and studying them, a solid background"-- Provided by publisher.