Silha Center Hosts National Media Ethics and Law Conference

The Conference is co-sponsored by the American Bar Association's Media Law and Defamation Torts Committee, and we have made application with the State Board of Continuing Legal Education so that lawyers may be able to receive CLE credit for attending. The Minnesota Journalism Center also is a Conference co-sponsor.

New Technology and the Law

While the Conference begins with a Friday evening reception on April 17, the panels will be on Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's 9:30-11:30 a.m. panel focuses on New Technology and the Law. Moderated by Prof Everette E. Dennis of Fordham University's Graduate School, Session I will examine:

• Whether technological advances enhance or threaten the First Amendment.
• If the U.S. Supreme Court's medium-specific approach to the First Amendment is becoming outdated and unworkable.
• How the global nature of the communications industry affects freedom of speech issues.
• The viability of technological solutions (such as the V-chip and blocking software) on the Internet.

Included on the Session I panel are Prof. Jerome A. Barron of George Washington University, Ann Kappler of Jenner & Block, Prof. Donald Pember of the University of Washington, and Prof. Robert Trager of the University of Colorado.

Convergence of Legal and Ethical Issues

Saturday's 2-4 p.m. panel addresses the Convergence of Legal and Ethical Issues, focusing on such issues as:

• Whether ethics and law collisions in a case such as Cohen v. Cowles Media are inevitable.
• Given the increasing intrusiveness of both stablished and new media technologies, whether "turning off' the media should be our only recourse.
• How it might be possible to balance the public's need to know with individuals' concerns with an ever-intrusive media.
• Whether ombudsmen, ethics codes, and news councils are viable alternatives to litigation.

Chaired by Prof Theodore Glasser of Stanford University, Session II's panelists include Prof. Clifford G. Christians of the University of Illinois, Prof. Deni Elliott of the University of Montana, Dean Timothy Gleason of the University of Oregon, and Prof. Louis W. Hodges of Washington & Lee University.

Newsgathering

Sunday's 9:30-11:30 a.m. panel on Newsgathering is moderated by James Goodale of Debevoise and Plimpton. Focusing on Newsgathering, Session III examines:

• The legacy of Food Lion.
• Whether we might expect future litigation to skirt the First Amendment, focusing instead on issues such as trespass.
• What should be the appropriate level of First Amendment protection.
• To what extent shield laws can be expected in the future to provide journalists with adequate newsgathering protection.

Session III panelists include John Borger of Faegre & Benson, Joanne Byrd of the

Seattle Post- Intelligencer, James Naughton of the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, and John J. Walsh of Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft.

General Information

A question and answer session will follow each panel. In all three sessions, panelists' formal papers will be collected and published in a book to be given to each participant attending the National Media Ethics and Law Conference. Additional books may be ordered at a cost of $60 each.

A banquet (black tie optional) dedicated to the contributions of Donald M. Gillmor, Silha Professor of Media Ethics and Law will be given Saturday night, April 18, at 6:30. A blue-colored Conference information and registration form is included with this Bulletin. If your form is missing, please contact the Silha Center at (612) 625-3421 or by email at silha@tc.umn.edu. -WILLIAM A. BABCOCK

Director, Silha Center