Journalism & Fair Use
The Center is proud to present our lastest report: Copyright, Free Speech, and the Public's Right to Know: How Journalists Think about Fair Use.
Conducted jointly with the Information Justice and Intellectual Property program in American University's Washington College of Law, the project takes a deep look into the way journalists deal with copyright issues, which can affect not only their own careers, but journalism as a whole.
"In gaining an understanding of fair use, people in fields from documentaries to poetry have been able to their rights more fully and create richer work. It's high time we in journalism found the keys to do the same."
Geneva Overholser, former editor of the Des Moines Register and director of the USC Annenberg School of Journalism
The report draws conclusions from interviews with 80 journalists who have been working in this field for at least five years. It gives real examples on the cost of confusion in their daily practices and provides suggestions to avoid unnecessary troubles. It shows that fair use can be journalists' most useful tool, and that journalists should collectively assert the principles that they employ when making fair use decisions.
“This is extremely valuable information for journalists, to be able to do their jobs better. I hope to see a set of principles evolve, which can make it easier to know what's the right thing to do."
Kevin Smith, former president of the Society of Professional Journalists and head of SPJ's ethics committee.
This report is a handbook for every journalist. Get it now.
Click to Read Online or Download the PDF below.
