News Challenge 101: Legal Issues to Consider

Links to the Citizen Media Law Project's legal guide presented at Wednesday morning's "boot camp."

Getting your project off the ground
Protecting your good name


 * Choosing and Checking the Availability of a Business Name


 * Trademark Law and Naming Your Business

Forming a Business: It's never too early to plan for your success


 * Choosing a Business Form


 * How to Start a Business


 * Business Form Comparison Chart

Legal risks associated with newsgathering and publishing

 * Publishing Information that Harms Another's Reputation


 * Publishing Personal and Private Information


 * Publishing the Statements and Content of Others


 * Correcting or Retracting Your Work After Publication


 * Using the Copyrighted Work of Others

Practical steps you can take to reduce your legal risks
Good journalistic practices = reduced legal risks


 * Strive for accuracy and check your facts
 * Cultivate reliable sources
 * Approach your work ethically
 * Seek permission or consent to use the work or images of others
 * Be willing to correct your mistakes
 * Educate yourself about journalism, media law and develop procedures for fact checking, rights clearance, newsgathering


 * Knight Citizen News Network
 * CMLP's Legal Guide
 * Course at Poynter's News University: Online Media Law: The Basics for Bloggers & Other Online Publishers

Create Appropriate Website Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy


 * Don't make promises you can't or don't intend to keep
 * Be clear about what information you collect and whether you will keep it private
 * Designate someone to receive notifications of copyright infringement under the DMCA

Insurance (You're a professional, so act like one)


 * Finding Insurance