Reddit Reddit reviews McNae's Essential Law for Journalists

We found 2 Reddit comments about McNae's Essential Law for Journalists. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.

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McNae's Essential Law for Journalists
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2 Reddit comments about McNae's Essential Law for Journalists:

u/Philabrow · 5 pointsr/Journalism

Your best bet to cover your own arse from any defamation is to actually read the law on libel/defamation.

This is the most common legal problem you will face with publishing interviews, but is unlikely to be a problem with what you are doing unless they say something particularly bad or you make them out to be a douchebag. It's a complicated law and I really recommend you look it up and seriously read into it if you are going to be publishing a lot of interviews.

I'd recommend you record the interviews, as well as ask them to state the spelling of their name into the microphone when you start so A) you get the spelling of their name correct and B) when you listen back it's clear which recording it is.

If you happen to know teeline or any kind of legitimate shorthand then it is important you date and sign the notepad at the front, as well as date the top of pages at the beginning of each interview.

It's important for your quotes that you have fully identified the person being quoted too, so don't start with "Stuart said". It needs to be formatted as something like "Stuart Freebridge, Head of Transportantion at Lincoln County Council said:" This only needs to be done the first time they are quoted, afterwards you can shorten it to Mr Freebridge etc.

I am by no means a qualified journalist! I have done some work experience but nothing paid and I'm only a second year journalism student. The law is extremely important and I really recommend you get something like McNae's.

That book is a handy reference and it is vital you read some of it if you are going to be publishing a fair few interviews on a variety of subjects.

A lengthy post, so sorry about that and I hope this helps! If you want any interview tips I have some I give out to the freshers when they work on my publication, but this post is long enough!

TL;DR : LEARN THE LAW ON DEFAMATION AND LIBEL.

u/TomJBeasley · 3 pointsr/Journalism

Anyone who is doing any form of journalism should own a copy of McNae's Essential Law. The law is complicated and very important.

Familiarise yourself with defamation and privacy law.