1. Home
  2. Mass Communication Law in a Nutshell

Mass Communication Law in a Nutshell

9th Edition
T. Barton Carter | Juliet Lushbough Dee | Harvey L. Zuckman
ISBN: 9798887869711
Subject: Communication/Telecomm
Format: Print - Softbound
Page Count: 850
Copyright: 2025 | Status: Accepting Pre-Orders

Mass Communication Law in a Nutshell satisfies the need for a basic text in communication law, not only for law students but for journalism and communication students as well. Highlights of the Ninth Edition of the popular book include:

  • a discussion of the Sandy Hook parents’ defamation suits against Alex Jones and Dominion Voting Systems’ trade libel suit against Fox News;
  • the question of whether Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act provides immunity from suit to social media platforms, or whether these platforms can be sued for product liability if their algorithms encourage children to accidentally strangle themselves as in TikTok’s Blackout Challenge;
  • whether Section 230 provides immunity from suit to platforms such as PornHub, or whether victims of sex trafficking can sue PornHub under the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA);
  • numerous social media issues including cyberstalking, catfishing, trolling, doxxing, swatting and posting threats;
  • whether the state of New York can stop the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from gaining access to individuals’ personally identifiable information (PII) at the Internal Revenue Service, and whether DOGE qualifies as an “agency” under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA);
  • whether the dog toy “Bad Spaniels” infringes on the trademark for Jack Daniels;
  • impact of social media on the free press-fair trial conflict;
  • whether police had a right to search the home of 98 year-old newspaper owner Joan Meyer, resulting in her dying of heart attack from stress that the search caused;
  • the Supreme Court’s decision undercutting the 1984 “Chevron doctrine” which will limit the authority of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Federal Communication Commission (FCC) so that only Congress, not the FCC, can impose net-neutrality policies in the future.


Imprint: West Academic Publishing
Series: Nutshells
Publication Date: 08/15/2025
Related Subject(s): Communication/Media Law

T. Barton Carter, Boston University

Juliet Lushbough Dee, Delaware

Harvey L. Zuckman, Catholic - DC

CasebookPlus™

This title is available in our CasebookPlus format. CasebookPlus provides support beyond your classroom lectures and materials by offering additional digital resources to you and your students. Anchored by faculty-authored formative self-assessments keyed to our most popular casebooks, CasebookPlus allows students to test their understanding of core concepts as they are learning them in class – on their own, outside of the classroom, with no extra work on your part. CasebookPlus combines three important elements:

  • A new print or digital casebook
  • Access to a downloadable eBook with the ability to highlight and add notes
  • 12-month access to a digital Learning Library complete with:
Multiple-choice self-assessment questions, including:
  • Chapter questions keyed to the casebook
  • Black Letter Law questions (available in select subjects)
  • Subject area review questions for end of semester use
Essay and short answer questions with sample answers and expert commentary, in 1L and select upper-level subjects

Leading digital study aids, an outline starter, and audio lectures in select subjects

Students can still utilize CasebookPlus digital resources if they’ve purchased a used book or are renting their text by purchasing the Learning Library at westacademic.com.

With CasebookPlus, you can customize your students’ learning experience and monitor their performance. The quiz editor allows you to create your own custom quiz set, suppress specific quiz questions or quiz sets, and time-release quiz questions. Additionally, the flexible, customized reporting capability helps you evaluate your students’ understanding of the material and can also help your school demonstrate compliance with the new ABA Assessment and Learning Outcomes standards.

Changes in New Edition:

  • Attempts by state legislatures in Florida and Texas to regulate decisions that content moderators make regarding political discourse on social media platforms
  • Jury decisions awarding nearly $1 billion to Sandy Hook parents whom Alex Jones had accused of lying about the massacre that killed 20 children and six adults
  • New York state’s lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to prevent DOGE from gaining access to individuals’ personally identifiable information (PII) at the Internal Revenue Service
  • Three girls, ages 8, 9 and 10, who accidentally strangled themselves while attempting TikTok’s “Blackout Challenge;” does Section 230 immunity apply, or is TikTok’s algorithm a “defective product?”
  • Does a “Bad Spaniels” dog toy infringe on Jack Daniel’s trademark?
  • Can women who were sex-trafficked as minors recover damages against PornHub, or does Section 230 provide PornHub with immunity from class-action suits?
  • Impact of social media on free press-fair trial conflict
  • Access of C-SPAN to cover the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump following the January 6, 2021 insurrection
  • Illegal police raid to search home of 98 year-old newspaper owner, resulting in her dying from a heart attack the next day due to stress
  • Can the FCC handle the flood of satellite applications it is receiving?
  • Will Congress make any changes to net-neutrality policies now that the Supreme Court has limited the authority of agencies such as the FCC to impose net-neutrality rules?

Learn more about this series.