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A MUST FOR EVERY JOURNALIST!
A Review by Nicholas Newman
 The
How-to Media Law manual: A journalist's guide to solving legal problems safely.
Who is it for?
This publication is primarily designed for media professionals;
and it is a very useful aide-mémoire
for avoiding many of the legal pitfalls that we journalists face today.
How useful is the information provided?
This 200 page book in its five sections provides a useful up to
date practical clear legal advice and best practice for tackling or avoiding
many of the legal challenges, we face today. Amongst the topics covered include
reporting on terrorism, handling complaints, using the Freedom of Information
Act, handling the Police and the legal profession. Unlike rival books, this book
is written by an industry insider, a prominent legal adviser and media law
educator to several prominent media organisations, who clearly demonstrates a
wealth of practical experience on which to base his advice in his writing.
Required reading for everyone from juniors to editors, in fact every editor,
desk head, reporter, sub, photographer, web editor and online journalist should
have one at his or her desk to consult.
I especially appreciated was the inclusion of recommended links
to organisations including Cleland Thom's own legal advice services to further
aid a user of this guide in solving media related legal problems safely.
How useful is this book in covering court cases?
 The
advice is certainly comprehensive from practical advice on how to keep safe
notes and contact books in case you are asked to produce your notebook in a libel
action or criminal court case to advice on writing features about active court
cases. Investigative reporters researching financial or political scandals
should find especially useful the advice on keeping records and mobile phone
messages.
How handy is this book in spotting libels?
This book covers a range of potential libellous circumstances
that can arise from editors using reader generated content on websites to
providing a series of tests for checking if your content is unintentionally
libellous before it gets published. Editors will find especially useful the
clear commonsense advice on how to create a proactively legally safe working
environment in the newsroom. In fact the steps suggested should be prominently
displayed in every editorial office, if you don't want lawyers at your door
every day.
How practical is the advice given on usage of photos?
 In
a world when increasingly, celebrities are increasingly prone to take legal
action against professional photographers on the grounds of breaching of privacy
or stalking, the Cleland's guidance should be their bible and consulted
regularly by cameramen. Other issues covered include how to avoid libel risks
with photos and captions to the sensitive subject of taking photos of children.
Has it managed to keep its information up to date?
On the whole the answer is in the affirmative. Cleland Thom plans
to publish this book every year and regularly offer updates to this book. Being
in a file format it will be easy to include the latest content about a
particular topic in this guide to solving legal media problems safely.
Is there room for improvement?
Certainly, I have three suggestions for the next edition about
the layout that would in my opinion, make this guide easier to use.
The first, the size of font should be larger, instead of 10
point, it should at least be 14 point, preferably in Times New Roman, so that it
is easy to read in poor light.
The second point, to aid ease of access to the contents, there
should be a main overall index listing all mentions on a particular topic.
Lastly, the five blue card subject dividers should have tags
identifying each section clearly.
Would I recommend this book to fellow media professionals?
Yes, a must for every professional journalist seeking to protect
their pecuniary rewards from predators.
Rating 8 out of 10.
To Order
Cleland Thom For further information CTJLTS Ltd
(Publisher), Full Price £25
http://www.potential.gb.com/
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