Finding a Mass Media Paper Topic
Kincaid C. Brown
Head of Electronic & Systems Services
University of Michigan Law Library
Agenda
- Basics
- Where to get ideas
- Sources for further information
- Finding basic legal discussion
Basics
Your paper topic should be:
- Something that interests you
- Narrow
- Research-able
- Current (so it will interest Prof. Niehoff)
Topics
What possible broad subjects are included?
- First Amendment - obscenity, hate speech, etc.
- Privacy
- FCC Regulation
- Internet law
- Reporter's Privilege
- IP
More Topics
- Film incentives
- TV vs. Satellite vs. Cable vs. Wireless vs. the Phone Companies
- Libel & Defamation
- Campaign fincance / advertising
- FOIA
Where to start
Think while you read
- Magazines - Wired, New Yorker
- Newspapers - NYT, Michigan Daily
- Online - Slate, blogs & news briefs
Sources for Further Information
- eBrary - recent monographs and e-books
- Proquest Research Library - full-text law, non-law, and popular press journals and magazines
- Access World News - full-text of 800+ worldwide English language newspapers
- Lexis & Westlaw news and law review databases
- University Library resources: full-text e-books and journals individually listed in Mirlyn or as databases in Searchtools
Individual title information and links for legal eBrary and Proquest titles are loaded into the MLaw Catalog
Sources for Legal Discussion
Use secondary sources
- Treatises - start with Booklists for titles with general discussion
- Civil Right & Liberties (includes Free Speech), Mass Media, Privacy, Computers & the Internet, Entertainment Law, Libel & Slander
- Treatises - then find additional books in MLaw Catalog by subject (individual booklists identify some) or keyword
- Lexis & Westlaw law review database
Electronic Resources
Three e-resource lists on campus
- Law Library Electronic Resources
- University Library SearchTools
- Kresge Business Library Electronic Resources
- Many resources have to be used at Kresge
3 Campus Catalogs
Find individual titles (books, journals, government documents) in the Catalogs
Reference Assistance
- Vist the Reference Desk
- Call: 764-9324
- Email: askalawlibrarian@umich.edu
- Chat
- Research consultations