Essential Law for Journalists - Tom Welsh, Walter Greenwood

Forget dictionaries, Word takes care of that. Forget grammar, that's what the sub's for. What you need is a copy of Essential Law for Journalists, and it's not kidding when it says essential. Covering everything a journalist must know when reporting anything. The previous opinion almost implied that the book concentrates on defamation, but it goes far further than that - from court reporting, to contempt, to definitions under the theft act, to D-notices and other 'gagging' orders and injunctions. In fact, it's worth getting even if you're not a journalist - i know people who have bought it just when they want to understand ...

If you write published work anywhere (including Dooyoo!) you almost certainly need to read this and keep it by your side. In no area of endeavour, I think, do so many urban myths exist as in the law; and possibly the greatest common misunderstandings relate to the laws of defamation. (there's no law against lying about someone, for example, unless that lie harms their reputation in some very specific ways) As ever, ignorance of the law is no defence, yet thousands of people every year publish material that contravenes the law. For example - what is reasonable criticism of a product or TV programme, and what becomes defamatory? The answers are all ...