This study aims to compare libel laws in the United States and the United Kingdom and discuss their modern implications and differences. Speech laws and protections are notably different in the U.S. and the UK, affecting how each country handles legal proceedings regarding libel and defamation suits. This report will explain these differences by looking at legal precedent and case examples in both countries. After comparing and contrasting legal doctrines in each country, I will analyze and apply the concepts to instances of political speech. Lastly, I will look at the intersection between libel laws and freedom of speech during elections and campaigns in both countries and review recent commentary regarding current libel laws in both countries.

 

This project, originally inspired by the photography blog Humans of New York, is a series of digitally drawn portraits and profiles of individuals in the downtown Phoenix area. Phoenix is a relatively young city and the city's character and style has not yet been cemented. But this city is just as lively and interesting as older, more established places and deserves the same kind of attention that people documenting their homes have given their subjects.

The profiles, which have been collected at https://rebeccaspiess.com/humans-of-phoenix-pg/, were created from subjects I met at coffee shops, art galleries, on study abroad trips and through personal research. The only criteria for inclusion in the project was their connection to Phoenix. Additionally, because of the digital nature of the portraits, I have included timelapse videos showing the process of creating each image on my YouTube channel, called Rebecca Spiess.

I want the “Humans of Phoenix” project to be like speed-dating the city, getting to know the stories and the people you might pass on the street. People love to get a glimpse into the lives of others. I love the thrill of meeting new people with great stories, and I want the readers of this project to get that satisfaction as well. And hopefully, I want these narratives to engage readers in a way that elicits empathy, understanding and excitement.

The definition of a service animal is often misunderstood by the public. This makes life more difficult for individuals with disabilities who rely on service animals to function and navigate through society.

“Arizona Service Animals” is a creative project in the form of a website
( ArizonaServiceAnimals.com ) designed to provide the public with information,
resources, and true stories about service animals in the state of Arizona.

The site covers the different types of support animals, the training process, the legal rights of service animal handlers and businesses, and Arizona’s new law regarding fake service animals.

It also includes the stories of real service animal handlers and trainers who share their experiences and explain what they would like the public to know.

This paper provides context into the history of dogs and service dogs, as well as
information on the three types of support animals. It also includes the methodology of the project.

News outlets frequently portray people with disabilities as either helpless victims or objects of motivation. Portrayal of people with disabilities has improved over the years, but there is still room to grow. News outlets tend to make disability the center of the story. A story about a disabled person is primarily about their disability, with their other accomplishments framed by it.

As one example of the victimhood narrative, ABC News used to run a special called My Extreme Affliction as part of 20/20 until 2012. As the name implies, the specials covered people with disabilities, specifically extreme versions. One 2008 episode on Tourette’s syndrome described Tourette’s like it was some sort of demonic possession. The narrator talked about children who were “prisoners in their own bodies” and a family that was at risk of being “torn apart by Tourette’s.” I have Tourette’s syndrome myself, which made ABC’s special especially uncomfortable to watch. When not wringing their metaphorical hands over the “victims” of disability, many news outlets fall into the “supercrip” narrative. They refer to people as “heroes” who “overcome” their disabilities to achieve something that ranges from impressive to utterly mundane. The main emphasis is on the disability rather than the person who has it. These articles then exploit that disability to make readers feel good. As a person with a disability, I am aware that it impacts my life, but it is not the center of my life. The tics from my Tourette’s syndrome made it difficult to speak to people when I was younger, but even then they did not rule me.

Disability coverage, however, is still incredibly important for promoting acceptance and giving people with disabilities a voice. A little over a fifth of adults in the United States have a disability (CDC: 53 million adults in the US live with a disability), so poor coverage means marginalizing or even excluding a large amount of people. Journalists should try to reach their entire audience. The news helps shape public opinion with the stories it features. Therefore, it should provide visibility for people with disabilities in order to increase acceptance. This is a matter of civil rights. People with disabilities deserve fair and accurate representation.

My personal experience with ABC’s Tourette’s special leads me to believe that the media, especially the news, needs to be more responsible in their reporting. Even the name “My Extreme Affliction” paints a poor picture of what to expect. A show that focuses on sensationalist portrayals in pursuit of views further ostracizes people with disabilities. The emphasis should be on a person and not their condition. The National Center for Disability Journalism tells reporters to “Focus on the person you are interviewing, not the disability” (Tips for interviewing people with disabilities). This people-first approach is the way to improve disability coverage: Treat people with disabilities with the same respect as any other minority group.

As the U.S. reckons with the reality of sexual assault and harassment in the wake of the #MeToo movement, it is particularly important to consider sexual assault in the military, an institution that is a massive employer and the face of the U.S. abroad. Media coverage is a catalyst for change, and the nature and scope of coverage is indicative of public and political attitudes. This thesis uses both quantitative and qualitative data to analyze characteristics of military sexual assault cases that complicate media coverage and to identify strengths and weaknesses of the media's approach to such stories. On the quantitative side, it takes advantage of nearly 600 case reports of sexual assault from U.S. military bases in Japan that were categorized to identify themes such as disposition outcomes, alcohol involvement and victim participation in investigations. Qualitatively, this thesis includes interviews with military officials, victims' advocates, journalists and other stakeholders that help to create a more holistic understanding of how media cover military sexual assault. Notably, this thesis finds that a lack of public interest in the military, a lack of congruency between military and civilian systems, and a highly complex hierarchy that limits journalists' access to military sources and data all complicate coverage. Drawing from these conclusions, it recommends that the media avoid episodic reporting, focus on personalizing stories in an institutional context, embrace accountability journalism and dedicate resources to pursuing complex investigations. It also acknowledges the important role of non-traditional media in the future of information sharing on the topic of military sexual assault.

What's in a name? A person not a number is a multimedia eBook that will explore how the media treats coverage of sexual assault victims and challenges the traditional no-naming policy instilled in almost every professional newsroom. Historical context to no-naming policies, opinions from critics of the no-naming policy and legal information will be provided. This book serves to encourage journalists and editors to consider identifying victims after long, thoughtful discussions, to educate media consumers on the topic, to eradicate the societal stigma of rape, and to reflect the views of survivors so that they may feel more willing to share their stories. Identifying sexual assault victims conforms to the journalistic imperative to tell the truth as fully as possible and to inform the public as completely as possible. When the information is part of the public record and there are no legal limitations on its use, identifying sexual assault victims will have a positive impact in educating the public and eradicating the stigma associated with being the victim of sexual assault. This book proposes that through educated, thoughtful and truthful stories about sexual assault can spark careful conversations and help turn around the stigma our society has placed on victims. The full eBook, complete with photos, videos and other audio components, is available at https://alejandraarmstrong.atavist.com/whats-in-a-name-a-person-not-a-number.

In this project dubbed "Arizona Homeless Solutions," the reporter attempted to take a solutions journalism approach to covering family homelessness in Arizona with an emphasis on one program, Save the Family. As a state, Arizona has been remarkably successful in reducing the number of homeless families in the state. According to the 2016 State of Homelessness in America Report, the state reduced its number of homeless family households by 22 percent, the sixth largest reduction nationally. This success is due in large part to the effective collaboration of a variety of organizations. But one program in particular, Save the Family, had received praise throughout the community for its successful and innovative intervention effort. The organization was also very data-conscious, making it a good program to look at for a solutions journalism approach. Solutions journalism is a form of journalism that attempts to go beyond simply reporting on a problem. Instead, it focuses on the responses to social issues, and takes a critical look at how successful or unsuccessful an effort is and what can be learned from it. It is a rigorous, evidence-based and critical approach to reporting, that really is not all that different from traditional in-depth reporting. The reporter spent about a year putting this approach into practice by dissecting two of the organizations major intervention programs, transitional housing and rapid rehousing. He interviewed seven full-time staff members on multiple occasions. He also interviewed experts from Maricopa County Continuum of Care, as well as individuals from the City of Mesa and another homeless service provider, UMOM New Day Centers. Lastly, the reporter spent time with one family that had come through Save the Family's transitional housing program and is now permanently stabilized in a house all their own. During the process of reporting, the reporter also maintained a blog on the AZ Homeless Solutions website in which he chronicled his reporting experience, publishing anecdotes from his notebook and short blurbs on catching parts of his interviews. He would also post about current homeless advocacy events. The blog ultimately had about a dozen posts. After months of reporting and maintaining the blog, the reporter produced a solutions journalism piece on Save the Family's effort that was about 2,500 words in length. The final product was published on the website.

This paper describes a thesis project in which the author developed an eight-session, after-school curriculum to teach journalism basics to Desert Mountain High School's newspaper in Scottsdale, Arizona. Wolf's Print, the school's paper, moved to an after-school basis in the 2011-2012 school year as a result of budgetary constraints. The topics covered in these sessions ranged from the current state of journalism to learning more specific skills, such as news writing and copy editing. The paper begins with a discussion of the efficacy of after-school programs as a whole. Though these programs have been shown to benefit students, there are also challenges \u2014 most notably attendance and commitment on the part of students \u2014 to a club that is operated on a solely after-school basis. The paper ends with an evaluation of the program and several recommendations to strengthen after-school journalism programs. These recommendations include robust community involvement and teacher commitment to the club.

For our thesis we will create a comprehensive journalistic manual for The State Press employees that details the standards of each section and also offer tips on ways to further develop communication and quality. We will offer methods for streamlining the writing and editing process so that writers are fully aware of the standards that need to be met in order to be published. As ASU Student Media makes a move to increase its digital presence, a strong voice is necessary. Creativity is at the heart of every great online product, be it through writing, visuals or both. By instilling a culture of accountability through this manual and its rules, we will start building a staff capable of producing a high quality, digitally focused online product in years to come.

In making a State Press manual we hope to increase the excellence and performance of the media entity year after year and to urge students to develop a commitment to ethical and professional values of journalism. We also aim to solidify the entire staff’s knowledge of journalism writing and create an educational workplace for employees who are interested in growing. The guide will provide a foundation to train and instruct for each State Press section, which will ease the pressure put on the editors and will allow more time for constructive direction.

We want to make the production/editing process — from the initial brainstorming of an article to the final publication — a logical and fluid sequence.