A good while ago, I put up a request on Twitter for some good books or other resources on Irish law as it applies to media. All that I had read and learned was largely from a UK perspective, and I felt it was part of my media education that was sorely lacking. While most people got back to me saying, essentially, that it’s something learned on the job and I shouldn’t bother with it, Neil Cullen gave me a short list of recommended reading from his university journalism course, including Journalists and the Law.

This book is a perfect introduction to law from a journalist’s perspective. It assumes no prior knowledge whatsoever, and is written in a casual and conversational tone that doesn’t turn off those of us not fluent in legalise. At the same time, it has enough depth to ensure that the reader is getting some genuine value out of it. And, lest we forget, the author, Yvonne Murphy, knows what she is talking about- a former journalist, she is now a judge of the District Court.

For example, did you know that under the Civil Liabilities Act of 1961, a source who misinforms a reporter could be made jointly liable in the event of a defamation action? Of course, there’s a good reason this is never used- the journalist, and perhaps the publication, would never be trusted be sources again- but still, the mechanism is technically there in the event of the malicious spread of misinformation. Or, interestingly, an editor who apologises or retracts and article could be liable for a defamation action from the writer, as it damages that journalist’s reputation?

These and other interesting nuggets are scattered throughout a text that largely focuses on more common and useful information that the young journalist needs to do their job effectively. The book begins with the structure of the courts in Ireland and their jurisdictions, before moving through defamation, common law, defences, and examples of famous cases (principally the De Rossa case) all the time remaining approachable. I found the section on the different kinds of privilege hugely helpful.

There’s one problem with the text- it was last printed in, I think, 2001. This means that it doesn’t take into account the new Defamation Act or the Press Council, two major changes to the media landscape in the past two years or so. It also means it could be tricky to get- it is available on Amazon through a third-party bookseller, and I tracked down the only non-lending copy in Trinity’s library. It is worth the effort though, and I hope Murphy is planning on an update sometime soon.

Posted by Dave Molloy in •Resources

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