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Using the Media Law ReporterThe Media Law Reporter is located in the reading area bookshelves of the Park Library. Media Law Reporters are volumes that are published annually and is considered an authoritative source on media law cases. MLR is not available online; it is exclusively in print format Updates of media case law sent to us twice a month. There are two Cumulative Indexes, one for volumes 1-15 and the other for volumes 16 - 25. The current published volume is for 2003; updates are encased in a loose-leaf binder. Each volume contains
Note carefully the numbers attached to each topic; they are standard throughout the volumes and aid searching by topic over time. I. Searching by Case NameIf you know the name of a case you wish to search, look through the Table of
Cases in the Cumulative Indexes. If your case isn't in the Cumulative Indexes,
then check in each of the subsequent volumes starting with number 25.
1 Med.L.Rptr. 1527. The "Med.L.Rptr." is simply a truncated form of "Media Law Reporter." The "1" at the beginning of the entry refers you to volume one. The "1527" at the end refers you to page 1527. Thus, "1 Med.L.Rptr. 1527" tells you to go to Volume 1 of the Media Law Reporter and turn to page 1527. II. Searching by Subject1) Finding more cases on the same subject as a case you already have:To locate more cases on the same subject as a case you have just found, look at the short numbered paragraphs at the beginning of the case. The boldface headnotes at the beginning of each paragraph tell you what subjects are covered in the case and give you a number you can use to find more cases on the same subject. For example, the first headnote in Times v. Sullivan says Defamation--Defamatory Content (§11.05). This tells you that New York Times v. Sullivan addresses defamatory content, and that the Media Law Reporter Classification Guide number for defamatory content is 11.05. You can turn to the Index Digest section in any volume of Media Law Reporter, look under 11.05, and get more cases about defamatory content. The Index Digest entries consist of a very brief summary and a reference to which volume of the Media Law Reporter contains your case. The meaning of a Classification Guide number never changes, so you can find similar cases from many years apart using the Index Digest. There is an Index Digest in the Cumulative Indexes volume that gathers cases from the first fifteen volumes by subject. 2) If you don't yet have a particular case, and you want to research by subject matter:The Media Law Reporter contains a Topical Index that tells you the Classification Guide numbers for various subjects. For example the entry under "Libel" reads: LIBEL see DEFAMATION [Note: look under DEFAMATION
for more information, such as the following.] The number following each of these entries is the Classification Guide number that you will use to search for cases about the subject in the Index Digest. III. Photocopying CasesJournalism students may photocopy cases from the Media Law Reporter for their own use. You must use a UNC-One Card to copy materials on a library photocopier. The library's photocopier does not accept coins or bills. Prepared by Rob Vreeland and Barbara Semonche LegalTrac is offered to all UNC-CH students, faculty, and staff. Open a browser to http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/eid then click on "L" and scroll the page until you get to LegalTrac. Follow the directions for searching; there are two levels offered: Basic and Advanced. Note well the "Search - Help" link. LegalTrac is similar in format to InfoTrac. LegalTrac contains article abstracts or references from more than 800 legal publications: major law reviews, legal newspapers, law specialty publications, bar association journals and international legal journals. There is a link to the individual titles available. The database also includes specially selected law-related articles from more than 1,000 additional business and general-interest publications. Use this database to research case studies, government regulations, practice of law, statutes, taxation and international law. Coverage varies, but none is earlier than 1980. Articles can be printed or emailed. Note well the "added value" of related articles and subject headings attached to each document. Lexis/Nexis Academic (Lexis is the part of this database with legal research resources; Nexis has the online news resources) is offered to all UNC-CH students, faculty, and staff on or off campus. [Note: Off campus users must enter their PID number when prompted.] Open a browser to http://eresources.lib.unc.edu/eid then click on "L" and scroll the page until you get to Lexis/Nexis Academic. Select "Legal Research." Basic and advanced search options are offered. Follow the directions for searching. Note the link to "Sources." Lexis "Basic Legal Research" database offers legal information (including law reviews, case law, codes and regulations, and legal rulings), as well as other topics such as biographical information. Many of the files are full-text. Articles can be printed or emailed. Note that L/N does offer Shepardizing, but only of U.S. Supreme Court cases. More about the protocols and search strategies of this database will be demonstrated. WestLaw is an online legal reference and research database with a long history of use, over a century, in the legal and educational communities. Connect at any online terminal to WestLaw at this URL: http://www.westlaw.com Enter your password and name. WestLaw and Lexis offer similar content, but in slightly different format. For example, WestLaw offers the citations of cases through its "KeyCite" service; Lexis has something similar, but it is called "Shepard's." The Lexis version our Park Library can access is the academic one, not what the students in Law Schools can use. The version we have of WestLaw is the same as professional paralegals use. The documents are full text. WestLaw requires individual passwords. Our Park Library offers only a very limited number of these passwords. For more information, consult with the Park Library director. [Note: if you have a password for WestLaw, you are entitled to contact West Reference Attorneys for research assistance any time of day at (1-800-ref-atty)
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Copyright 2003 - The Park Library -
School of Journalism School of Journalism
and Mass Communication - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill |