Landmark Cases1Landmark Cases 5Landmark Cases

Landmark Cases 1
Landmark Cases 5
Landmark Cases
Shawnette Howard
SNHU
2/13/2022
Landmark cases have been able to shape the development of
freedoms in the idea that freedom of speech has continuously
been put in check to ascertain whether there is a need for
improvement or not. If so, they outline the steps to be lawfully
followed to ensure these freedoms are not manipulated to
undermine their importance within a legal bracket. Some of the
landmark cases that impacted digital communication in a
significant manner are New York Times v Sullivan, Reno v.
ACLU, and Brandenburg v Ohio.
Reno v. ACLU
The Reno v. ACLU case involved an assessment of the
Communications Decency Act of 1996. This case provided the

needed criminal course of action against any individual that
used the internet to transfer obscene messages, which are
general messages that are indecent (Marano, 2017). This was
explicitly when the transferor the message itself involved a
minor (A person under 18 years). Therefore, Congress came up
with an agreeable vote to pass the Communications Decency Act
to curb the issue of pornography. CLU, however, argued that the
act contained elements of unconstitutionality (Djavaherian,
1998). And it was based on this argument the supreme court
ruled the act as a violation of the First Amendment right to
speech. The idea behind this argument was that it was a content-
based restriction.
The case brought changes in the communication industry. One
of the major supreme court cases directly linked the past of
communication, especially in the digital platform, to the future.
Arguably, any court ruling may have an upside as well as a
downside, especially if it involves opening the doors to
freedoms but limiting some notions of morality. The case made
a solid ground from which the law recognized the freedom of
speech; from this case, the freedom was further given a broader
scope to work on. It is also worth considering that this case
ushered in the idea of self-expression without limiting oneself
to what others find as right. The case allowed people to act in
their capacity; this was the basic foundation of freedom of
speech for future generations.
New York Times v Sullivan
The case was mainly a prominent aspect of promoting freedom
of speech. The case created a platform from which newspapers
could go in-depth and chase a story irrespective of where it took
them. Sullivan sued the New York Times for defamation in an
ad by the Newspaper. However, the Newspaper argued that they
did not desire to tarnish Sullivan's identity when the ad was
posted. An Alabama court awarded Mr. Sullivan $500,000 worth
of damages to be paid in good time by the New York Times
(Wasserman, 2012). The Newspaper, however, made an appeal
in the supreme court, in which case the supreme court declared

that the case would favor the Newspaper. This was because for
the suit to stand, Mr. Sullivan would have to prove that the
Newspaper intentionally used information that would cause
harm to his Image. In this aspect, he was unable to.
The case's ruling was an important landmark in digital
communication. It changed the media industry since it provided
media personalities with the right tools to go after stories,
especially ones related to influential and powerful people.
Through this ruling, the freedom of speech, especially in
publication, was ensured since people could now communicate
without fear of prosecution so long as such information is in
line with the idea of no purposeful intention to harm the subject
of the publication. Finally, it is essential to recognize that the
ruling was a stepping stone that ensured that publications in
different platforms such as digital platforms remained free of
influence by fear. This helps future digital publications to have
the backing needed as they make strides in story narration.
Brandenburg v Ohio
Brandenburg v Ohio was a case heard in 1969. The case became
an important benchmark because it involved the interpretation
of the First Amendment rights by the Supreme court.
Brandenburg had been convicted and given a 10years sentence
and a fine by a state court in Ohio (Field 2018). The state
appellate court affirmed this conviction. However, the supreme
court took to overrule the conviction since it was interpreted
that the first amendment stands in cases where speech was used
to advocate an illegal act as long as it is not likely to create
imminent lawlessness. These key details created the ideal
environment for people to voice their opinions on different
platforms.
The case is a landmark since it allows different individuals to
portray their opinions. The idea behind this landmark is that it
created a reasonable approach through which people can express
their opinion within the criteria that it does not directly apply
pressure on people to perfume illegal acts. The Digital
platforms have particularly embraced this aspect of the law

because such platforms contain people with diverse views.
Therefore, there is the rational expectation that at some points,
different individuals would react differently in the aspect of
what they say and how they say it. The case also helped shape
the room for future protests, especially those done on digital
platforms.
Best legal Practice
There must be ideal practices that can govern the freedom of
speech and the First Amendment rights of each individual using
any digital platform. The first Practice would be to avoid
sharing obscene materials on such platforms; this would ensure
that some kind of moral code remains in the daily activities
conducted digitally. Secondly, it would be an excellent legal
practice to consider the type of messages we post about other
people since this would ensure that the issue of defamation is
not a consequence of our actions. Generally, keenness when
writing about other people would be essential to consider; this
promotes respecting rights and freedom. Lastly, as an ideal
practice, it would be important that each individual creates
messages that do not cause harm or damage to those around
them to trigger a violent act, either in the workplace or outside
the workplace. The power of digital messaging could be a tool
to create harmony, yet it could also be abused to limit other
people's rights; it is, therefore, important that these practices be
put in place.
References

Djavaherian, D. K. (1998). Reno v. ACLU. Berkeley Tech. LJ,
13, 371.
Field, M. A. (2018). Brandenburg v. Ohio Its Relationship to
Masses Publishing Co. v. Patten. Ariz. St. LJ, 50, 791.
Marano, J. G. (2017). Caught in the Web: Enjoining Defamatory
Speech that Appears on the Internet. Hastings LJ, 69, 1311.
Wasserman, H. M. (2012). A jurisdictional perspective on New
York Times v. Sullivan. Nw. UL Rev., 107, 901.
Dilemma in digital communication 1
Dilemma in digital communication 2
Dilemma in digital communication
Shawnette Howard
SNHU
1/27/2022

Selected Case: Death as content: Social responsibility and the
documentary film maker
Summary
The selected case talks about the social responsibility of
filmmakers; what responsibility they have towards the
community and society. The case talks about Eric Steele who is
a documentary film maker. The film maker filmed a
controversial documentary known as “the bridge” where he
covered Golden Gate bridge which is a leading suicide location
with different individuals travelling from around the world to
commit suicide there. The main issues that are presented in the
case are the motives and intentions of the film maker and what
role he should have played in saving lives (Wilkins et al.,
2021). I selected the case because it addresses a very important
topic, the social responsibility of film makers. It also talks
about a major legal issue; suicide which is considered as a
crime in many states and countries.
Ethical and legal issues in the case
One of the ethical issues in the case is the intention and the
motive of the film maker. According to the case, the
government officials said that Steele had lied about his
intentions when he was applying for a permit. He had indicated
that his intention was to cover how powerful the bridge was and
how it interacted with nature. He emailed the true intentions of
the documentary to the officials later (Wilkins et al., 2021).
This is an ethical issue because he was not honest and he did
this because he knew that if he had made his intentions clear
then probably the officials would not have permitted him to go
on with it.
Another issue in the case is whether the film makers had
the responsibility to save lives or not. Steele confessed that
during filming they did not interfere with the “jumpers.” This
means that even when the film makers knew that the intention
of the people was to kill themselves, they did absolutely nothing
to save their lives or stop them. New York times stated that the
documentary shows how being focused on the camera lens

resulted into the detachment of film makers with their
surroundings.
The real question is what was the intention of the
documentary and if the intention was to create awareness about
suicide then how better should have the documentary achieved
this. Looking at the positive side of the documentary is that it
talks about an important issue which most people including the
digital media do not talk about as much. However, there are
sufficient attempts to avert the issue by the film maker (Wilkins
et al., 2021). The film maker does not include the opinions and
views of professionals such as psychologists or mental illness
experts on the matter. This is because professionals can help
explain the causes of suicide and what triggers such events.
Suicide is a legal issue in the case; suicide involves the
action of an individual ending their own life. The film makers
in the case capture people during the act and the question is
whether by doing so they aid it in any way. Critics of the film
argued that the film makers encouraged suicide through the
documentary and this is because it might seem as if the
documentary gives the people ideas on how to kill themselves.
After the film, building a pedestrian suicide barrier was
considered and this is a positive outcome from the documentary.
Justification of the topic
The topic in the case is the social responsibility of film makers
and this is an important topic of study since most of the film
makers do not have a clear understanding of what is expected of
them. Looking at the topic will help clearly address what the
film makers owe to the society and the community in which
they are filming. Just like all other professionals, film makers
have a range of responsibilities towards the society.
Film makers should not forget their duty towards their
society in the craze of making money or becoming popular
through the society. This is an important topic that is worth
studying since the points and conclusions drawn from the study

will be helpful not only for the film makers but also for
advocates and legislators in this area. Film makers of
documentaries have the responsibility of making sure that they
have positive influence on the public and ensure that they
represent reality.
Potential sources
The following are the potential sources that will be used for the
final project which is due in Week 9.
1.Borum Chattoo, C., & Jenkins, W. (2019). From reel life to
real social change: The role of
contemporary social-issue documentary in US public
policy. Media, Culture & Society, 41(8), 1107-1124.
This article talks about the legislations that are related to film
makers and their work and will help with information on the
different laws and by laws and even look at the impact of any
violations on the film makers (Borum et al., 2019).
2. Chattoo, C. B. (2020). Story movements: How documentaries
empower people and inspire
social change. Oxford University Press.
I will use this article to look at the positive impact which
documentaries have in the society. Documentaries help uncover
important issues that face people and by bringing out some of
these issues affected individuals end up getting help (Chattoo,
2020). The article also mentions other social responsibilities
that will be used in the final draft.
3.Lester, P. M. (2018). Visual ethics: A guide for
photographers, journalists, and filmmakers.
Taylor & Francis.
The article will be important to the final project, and this is
because it addresses various ethical responsibilities of film
makers. The article touches on how the film makers as public
servants have a responsibility towards the people to make sure
that they protect their wellbeing. Some of the issues addressed
in the article include privacy issues where the film makers are
required to protect the identity of people that do not want their
identity disclosed who are part of their documentaries.

References
Borum Chattoo, C., & Jenkins, W. (2019). From reel life to real
social change: The role of
contemporary social-issue documentary in US public
policy. Media, Culture & Society, 41(8), 1107-1124.
Chattoo, C. B. (2020). Story movements: How documentaries
empower people and inspire
social change. Oxford University Press.
Lester, P. M. (2018). Visual ethics: A guide for photographers,
journalists, and filmmakers.
Taylor & Francis.
Wilkins, L., Painter, C., & Patterson, P. (2021). Media Ethics:
Issues and Cases. Rowman &
Littlefield.
1
5

Code of Ethics
Shawnette Howard
SHNU
1/16/2022
A Code of ethics is a set of moral guiding principles that
generally dictate how different situations should be handled
within an organization, assuming people will have to play
different roles and the said roles will involve the interaction
with different people. Therefore, these guiding principles are
put in place to ensure the utmost high recognition of
professionalism within the working environment. It is agreeable
that such principles are primarily put in place to act as a watch
regarding ethics and morality regarding what is right to what is
wrong. Therefore, this implies a minimum expectation of the
kind of conduct expected in the workplace, and this code
constitutes ethical standards.
American Medica Association (AMA) is one of the biggest and
most established organizations in the United States of America.
This implies that there is a need to establish a set of rules and
expectations to be followed by the different medical
practitioners when it comes to handling sensitive information,
especially that information that is relevant to the treatment of a
patient. This need has created the room to adopt a code of
conduct that recognizes that communication must be done in an
ethical manner that recognizes both the patient and the medical

practitioner's role in the exchange, that is, treatment of the
patient by the medical practitioner this codes are under Chapter
2: Ethics of Consent, Communication & Decision Making (
AMA, 2022). The code describes that information should be
shared to ensure professionalism. It further recognizes that there
should be a logical way of communicating information
regardless of the patient and why they have sought out medical
help.
The idea is to ensure that the patient feels safe enough to
confide in their doctors in whatever capacity is needed
depending on what information is required. For this reason,
despite the means of communication, for example, through
electronic means such as over a phone call, information should
only be relayed to the legally recognized individual, in most
cases the patient, next of kin, or parents and guardians. The
code recognizes that information can be shared for many
reasons, including announcing a patient's release or even death.
Communication, in this case, is left to those who are in a legal
capacity and professionally to be able to convey such a message
in a clear and comforting as is required in this field.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) is a
humanitarian organization mandated by the United Nations
(UN) to take care of refugees and those displaced from their
homes in a manner that destabilizes their ability to take care of
themselves and their families. In most cases, such individuals
may be escaping war or floods and famine, thereby seeking help
from the organization. Like AMA, UNHCR recognizes the
importance of communication, especially because the
information is critical in the idea that funds used are from
donors who would want to know how their money is being used.
Therefore, the organization's code of ethics requires its
employees to avoid sharing information about any of those
refugees seeking help and those volunteers who are part of the
organization out of their own accord. In this case,
communication about any individuals is limited by the code of
ethics to those legally allowed to.

However, the two organizations contrast in their code in the
sense of need. The American Medical Association applies the
code of ethics to ensure that confidentiality is maintained,
thereby building trust between the Doctors and their patients. In
contrast, the UNHCR uses the codes to develop a way of
protecting those seeking help for reasons that may endanger
their lives, such as those who are running away for political
reasons. In the latter, communication is limited to ensure that
such individuals' identity remains hidden, creating security for
them.
Professional codes in ethical digital and mediated
communication ensure that online communications are carried
out in a sensible way that keeps the idea for respect of every
individual at both ends of the communication medium. The code
of honesty is an important ethical code in digital and mediated
communication because it recognizes that digital
communication is only efficient in cases where there is an
actual representation of everyone's true identity. In such a case,
identity must be honestly presented to avoid situations of
misrepresentation, which may lead to unlawful and unwarranted
decision-making out of the communication being made (Ethics,
2022). Secondly is the code of confidentiality; this ethical code
is important in the sense of the sensitivity of the information
being communicated by one individual to another. In such a
case, information being communicated may at times bear vital
data such as individuals' bank information or information that
bears life or death consequences, as is often the case when it
comes to information pertaining to the dispatching of military
personnel and etcetera(Ethics, 2022). Therefore, this code is
important since it ensures that aspects of identity are protected
when communication is done over such mediums.
Based on my reading, I believe that their ethical guidelines
would benefit any given organization. The first code in such a
case is the practice of obeying any law or public policy; this is
important because it gives everyone the mandate to work within
the bracket prescribed by the law. A good example would be

that such a code will deter individuals working in a bar from
selling liquor to underage people since it is against the law
(Ethics, 2022). Secondly, I believe that as a code of ethics, it
should be expected that individuals in a workstation should give
credit to those who are deserving. This is especially important
when it comes to tasks involving superiors and those
subordinate to them; in such situations, such a code would
require that the superior staff recognize the role played by those
under them. This is important because it provides everyone in a
given workplace with a healthy environment to work in, in the
sense that they can get the right reward for growth, for example,
in the form of a raise and promotion.
An example of why such code would benefit a company is
displayed in a situation where interns work hard to be
recognized by their superiors and find solid ground in terms of
employment in the organizations in which they are interning.
Such a code in the said organization would allow the intern to
feel comfortable, which inclines them to put in more effort,
which reaps mutual benefit to the company and them as they are
recognized for the good, they have brought into the company
(Ethics, 2022). Lastly, I believe the code not guaranteeing
results should be generally used (Ethics, 2022). The code is
often misinterpreted to mean the lack of certainty; this is quite
unfortunate since the code can generally mean that services
rendered are to be offered within the scope of possibility. A
good example of such a case would be when a doctor says that
they will do everything humanly possible to save a patient.
Overall, having a code of ethics compares to having a guiding
path that upholds professionalism in the work environment.
Various organizations have their code of ethics that guide how
things are done and ensure seamless operations. Wile their code
of ethics, such as those of AMA and UNHCR might contrast,
they are meant to serve the same purpose. Therefore thy should
be upheld at all levels of the organization.

References
American Medical Association. Code of Medical Ethics:
Consent, communication & decision making. (2022). Retrieved
From: https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/ethics/code-
medical-ethics-consent-communication-decision-making.
Ethics, C. (2022). IABC Code of Ethics for Professional
Communicators. Iabc.com. Retrieved From:
https://www.iabc.com/About/Purpose/Code-of-Ethics.
UNHCR. Acnur.org. (2003). Retrieved 14 January 2022, from
https://www.acnur.org/5b1969484.pdf.

COM 530 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric
Overview
As a communications professional in the 21st century, it is
critically important to understand the laws and ethics that guide
how we communicate in digital and
mediated settings. Using the information learned in this class,
you will create a handbook for digital communication for the
company you work for or a company
you wish to work for. The handbook will be designed to guide
employees on how to communicate ethically and legally in a
digital world. It will also include a case
study of an existing digital communication case, issue, or
dilemma as an example of how to apply the ethical guidelines
and laws outlined in your handbook.
This project is a realistic assignment a communication
professional might receive and also shows how the concepts
learned in this course are applicable to the
real world. Your handbook should be realistic, but can take
many forms. For example, it can be created in a word document
like a standard handbook. Or, it could
be created as a website, blog, or presentation. You decide the
best way to convey the information in an interesting and clear
way including examples, photos, or
graphics as you see fit.
This project is a realistic type of assignment that a
communication professional might receive and also shows how
the concepts learned in this course are

applicable in the real world. Your handbook should be
professional and practical, but it can take many forms. For
example, it can be created in a Word document
like a standard handbook. Or, it could be created as a website,
blog, or presentation. You decide the best way to convey the
information in an interesting and
clear way including examples, photos, or graphics as you see
fit. (Although the final project is a handbook rather than a
traditional academic paper, you should
still cite sources and include a list of references in APA
format.)
This assignment addresses the following course outcomes:
of new messages for digital delivery
digital and mediated communication
ethical principles regarding digital communication
Amendment applications for their impact on laws governing
communication in a digital setting
and ethical implications
Prompt
You have been asked by your company to create a handbook for
ethical and legal communication in the digital age. The format
of the handbook is up to you. For
example, you can create one in Microsoft Word, or you can use
a website or blog. Feel free to get creative, but the goal is to

present all the information below in
an organized, professional, and accessible way. It should be
something that can easily be referred to by employees in your
company as they go about their work
creating messages and content for digital delivery.
Specifically the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Introduction: Compose front matter (i.e., preface, overview,
table of contents) that concisely informs the reader about the
purpose and contents of the
handbook.
II. Laws and Regulations: This section will discuss the laws
and regulations associated with digital communication. Utilize
specific examples to illustrate
how these laws apply to digital communication decisions.
a) Select, and briefly describe, well-known situations that show

how the First Amendment has been applied to digital and
mediated
communication.
b) Select landmark court cases in digital communication and
explain what changes were made in communication law because
of them.
c) Determine content and messaging changes made by
companies as a result of the changes in communication law
brought on by landmark court
cases.
d) Based on the above determination, compile a list of “best
legal practices” that company employees should follow when
creating digital
messages and other content for the company.
III. Ethical Guidelines: In this section, you will write your own
code of ethics for your company employees that will guide their
communication and message
creation in the digital world. These guidelines should be your
own and not copied from another source. However, your
guidelines should be based on
research and the ethical ideas and principles discussed in class.
a) Analyze existing professional codes of ethics for common
themes that apply to digital and mediated communication.
b) Based on these common themes, develop your own list of
ethical guidelines with references to where you have obtained
this information.
c) Justify the inclusion of each ethical guideline and provide
appropriate examples to support your rationale.
d) Based on the code of ethics you have created and existing
ethical frameworks, compile a list of “best ethical practices”
that company employees

should follow when creating digital messages and other content
for the company.
IV. Case Study: In this section, you will show how the legal
concepts and your ethical guidelines can be applied to a real-
life situation. This should serve as
an example to employees of how to apply the information in the
handbook.
a) Overview an existing, controversial dilemma in digital
communication and explain the legal and ethical implications.
This can be a specific
incident or a general issue that pervades digital communication.
The topic you choose should have both legal and ethical
implications.
b) Apply the First Amendment to this situation and support your
application with examples.
c) Illustrate how existing communication laws and regulations
apply in this situation.
d) Based on the precedents set in the previously selected
landmark legal cases, explain how this situation is impacted by
them.
e) Apply your list of “best legal practices” to assess the legal
actions of the parties involved in this dilemma.
f) Determine existing ethical codes from the media professions
involved in the dilemma.
g) Apply your list of “best ethical practices” to assess whether
or not ethics were taken into consideration by the parties
involved in the dilemma.
h) Determine how the results of your analysis can be applied to
future digital communication situations. Milestones

Milestone One: Analyzing Professional Codes of Ethics
In Module Two, you will write a 4–6-page paper analyzing two
professional codes of ethics and how they apply to digital
communication. Choose two ethics
codes from two different professional organizations, for
example, journalism and public relations. You can also use the
code of ethics from the organization your
work for, if one exists. You will then analyze these codes for
common themes that could be applied to digital and mediated
communication messages. Describe
how these codes can help guide ethical creation of messages to
the public and then suggest three to five “best practices” or
“practical guidelines” for how people
should communicate ethically in these fields. Justify why you
think each of your best practice suggestions are important. This
assignment supports your
successful completion of section III above. This milestone will
be graded using the Milestone One Rubric.
Milestone Two: Case Study Topic Selection and Explanation
In Module Four, you will submit the topic for the case study

that will be included in your final project. The purpose of the
case study is to show how the legal
concepts you discuss and the ethical guidelines you create can
be applied to a real-life situation. The topic for your case study
should be a real, controversial
dilemma in digital communication. It can be a specific incident
or a general issue that pervades digital communication and
should illustrate the importance of at
least one of the “best practices” or “practical guidelines” for
ethical and legal communication in the field. Summarize your
topic and briefly describe the legal and
ethical aspects you believe are present. Make sure to justify
why this topic is important and worth studying in order to
become better communicators. Include a
list of at least three potential sources you plan to use. This
paper should be 2–4 pages long. This assignment supports your
successful completion of section IV
above. This milestone will be graded using the Milestone Two
Rubric.
Milestone Three: Landmark Court Cases
In Module Six, you will analyze landmark court cases for how
they have impacted digital communication. Pick three to five
landmark court decisions that
changed digital communication. For each case, give an overview
of the case, then describe how the case impacted or changed
digital and electronic
communication. Make sure to discuss any changes that had to be
made in communication industries as a result of each case
and/or any immediate effects as a
result of each court decision. Evaluate the impact each case will
have on the future of digital and mediated communication. This
paper should be 4–6 pages long.
This assignment supports your successful completion of section
II above. This milestone will be graded using the Milestone
Three Rubric.

Final Project Submission: Final Submission
In Module Nine, you will submit your legal and ethical
handbook. This handbook will include ethical and legal
guidelines and practices along with a case study.
The handbook should follow the final project prompt and
include all the critical elements. It should be polished and free
of errors and reflect the incorporation of
feedback gained throughout the course. The final project will be
graded using the Final Project Rubric (below).

Deliverables
Milestone Deliverables Module Due Grading
One Analyzing Professional Codes of
Ethics
Two Graded separately; Milestone One Rubric
Two Case Study Topic Selection Four Graded separately;
Milestone Two Rubric
Three Landmark Court Cases Six Graded separately; Milestone
Three Rubric
Final Submission: Handbook Nine Graded separately; Final
Project Rubric
Final Project Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Your handbook should be 12–15
pages, double-spaced, with one-inch margins, and use 12-point
Times New Roman font and APA
format.
Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs
Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Introduction: Front
Matter
Meets “Proficient” criteria and
front matter demonstrates a
complex grasp of the purpose
of the handbook

Composes front matter that
concisely informs the reader
about the purpose and content
of the handbook
Composes front matter that
informs the reader about the
purpose and content of the
handbook, but front matter is
cursory or verbose.
Does not compose front matter
that informs the reader about
the purpose and content of the
handbook
5
Laws and Regulations:
First Amendment
situations selected
demonstrate a complex grasp
of First Amendment issues
within digital and mediated
communication
Selects and briefly describes
well-known situations that
show how the First
Amendment has been applied
to digital and mediated
communication

Selects and describes well-
known situations that show
how the First Amendment has
been applied to
communication, but
description is verbose or
contains inaccuracies, or
situations do not apply to
digital and mediated
communication
Does not select and describe
well-known situations that
show how the First
Amendment has been applied
to communication
4.5
Landmark Court Cases

details show keen insight into
the symbiotic nature of
communication law and digital
communication law
Selects landmark court cases in
digital communication
explaining what changes were
made in communication law
because of them
Selects landmark court cases in
digital communication
because of them, but
explanation is cursory or
contains inaccuracies
Does not select landmark court
cases in digital communication
because of them
4.5
Content and
Messaging
determination makes cogent
connections between changes
in messaging and changes in

communication law
Determines content and
messaging changes made by
companies as a result of the
changes in communication law
cases
Determines content and
messaging changes made by
companies as a result of the
changes in communication law,
but determination contains
inaccuracies or is not directly
related to landmark court cases
Does not determine content
and messaging changes made
by companies as a result of the
changes in communication law
cases
4.5
Best Legal Practices
list exhibits a direct connection
to changes in communication
law
Compiles a list of “best legal
practices” that company

employees should follow when
creating digital messages and
other content for the company
based on above determination
Compiles a list of “best legal
other content for the company,
but “best legal practices” are
cursory or not based on above
determination
Does not compile a list of “best
legal practices” that company
other content for the company
based on above determination
6
Ethical Guidelines:
Professional Codes of
Ethics
common themes show keen
insight into existing
professional codes of ethics
that apply to digital and
mediated communication
Analyzes existing professional

codes of ethics for common
themes that apply to digital
and mediated communication
Analyzes existing professional
codes of ethics for common
themes that apply to
communication, but analysis
contains inaccuracies, or does
not clearly apply to digital or
mediated communication
Does not analyze existing
professional codes of ethics for
common themes that apply to
digital and mediated
communication
6
Ethical Guidelines:
Common Themes
list exhibits a complex grasp of
the common themes in
Develops a list of ethical
guidelines with references to
where the information was
obtained based on the
common themes in existing
Develops a list of ethical

guidelines with references to
where the information was
obtained, but list is not based
on common themes in existing
Does not develop a list of
ethical guidelines with
references to where the
information was obtained
based on the common themes
in existing professional codes of
ethics
6
Ethical Guidelines:
Ethical Guideline
makes exceptional use of
examples to justify the
inclusion of each ethical
guideline

Justifies the inclusion of each
ethical guideline providing
appropriate examples to
support rationale
Justifies the inclusion of each
ethical guideline, but
justification is cursory, or
examples used to support
rationale are inappropriate
Does not justify the inclusion of
each ethical guideline and
provide appropriate examples
to support rationale
6
Ethical Guidelines:
Best Ethical Practices
response demonstrates keen
insight into how “best ethical
practices” can guide the
creation of digital content
Compiles a list of “best ethical
creating digital content for the
company based on the code of
ethics that was created
Compiles a list of “best ethical

company, but list is cursory, or
not clearly based on the code
of ethics that was created
Does not compile a list of “best
ethical practices” that company
company
6
Case Study: Existing
Controversial
Dilemma
details provided show keen
insight into the legal and
ethical implications
Overviews an existing
controversial dilemma in digital
communication, explaining the
legal and ethical implications
Overviews an existing
communication, explaining the
legal and ethical implications,
but overview is cursory or

Does not overview an existing
communication and explain the
legal and ethical implications
6
Case Study: First
Amendment
examples highlight cogent
connections between the First
Amendment and the situation
Applies the First Amendment
to the situation and supports
application with examples
Applies the First Amendment
to the situation and supports
application with examples, but
application contains
inaccuracies, or supporting
examples are not cogent
Does not apply the First
Amendment to the situation
and support application with
examples
6

Communication Laws
makes cogent connections
between specifics of the
situation and communication
laws and regulations
Illustrates how existing
communication laws and
regulations apply in this
situation
Illustrates how existing
situation but illustration is
cursory, or not adequately
supported with examples
Does not illustrate how existing
situation
6
Case Study:
Precedents
details show keen insight into
the impact of landmark
precedents on the situation

Explains how the situation is
impacted by the precedents set
in landmark legal cases
Explains how the situation is
impacted by the precedents set
in landmark legal cases, but
explanation is cursory or
Does not explain how the
situation is impacted by the
precedents set in landmark
legal cases
4.5

Case Study: Best Legal
Practices
between best legal practices
and legal actions of the parties
involved
Applies “best legal practices” to
assess the legal actions of the
parties involved in the dilemma
Applies “best legal practices” to
assess the legal actions of the
parties involved, but
application is cursory or
assessment is illogical or

Does not apply “best legal
practices” to assess the legal
actions of the parties involved
in the dilemma
6
Ethical Codes
demonstrates a complex grasp
of the existing ethical codes
involved
Determines existing ethical
codes from the media
professions involved in the
dilemma
Determines existing ethical
codes from the media
dilemma, but determination is
cursory or contains
inaccuracies
Does not determine existing
ethical codes from the media
dilemma
6
Case Study: Best
Ethical Practices

between best ethical practices
and the considerations of the
parties involved
Applies “best ethical practices”
to assess whether or not ethics
were taken into consideration
by the parties involved in the
dilemma
Applies “best ethical practices”
to assess whether or not the
ethics were taken into
consideration by the parties
involved, but application is
cursory or assessment is
illogical or contains
inaccuracies
Does not apply “best ethical
practices” to assess whether or
not the ethics were taken into
consideration by the parties
involved
6
Case Study: Future
Digital
Communication

shows keen insight into how
digital communication may
evolve in the future
Determines how the results of
the analysis can be applied to
future digital communication
situations
Determines how the results of
the analysis can be applied to
future digital communication
situations, but determination is
cursory or illogical
Does not determine how the
results of the analysis can be
applied to future digital
communication
6
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and
organization and is presented
in a professional and easy-to-
read format
Submission has no major errors
spelling, syntax, or organization

Submission has major errors
that negatively impact
readability and articulation of
main ideas
Submission has critical errors
that prevent understanding of
ideas
5
Total 100%
COM 530 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric Overview
Prompt Milestone One: Analyzing Professional Codes of Ethics
Milestone Two: Case Study Topic Selection and Explanation
Milestone Three: Landmark Court Cases Final Project
Submission: Final Submission Deliverables Final Project
Rubric

Landmark Cases1Landmark Cases 5Landmark Cases

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