 |
LEC721S - LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUES IN COMMUNICATION - 2ND OPP - JAN 2025 |
|
|
1 Page 1 |
▲back to top |
n Aim I BI A U'n I VIE RS ITV
OF SCIEnCE Ario TECHnOLOG·v
FACULTYOF COMMERCE, HUMAN SCIENCEAND EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION AND LANGUAGES
QUALIFICATION: BACHELOR OF COMMUNICATION
QUALIFICATION CODE: 07BCMM
LEVEL: 7
COURSE CODE: LEC721S
COURSE: LEGAL AND ETHICAL ISSUESIN
COMMUNICATION
SESSION: JANUARY, 2025
DURATION: THREE HOURS
PAPER: ONLY ONE PAPER
MARKS: 100
SUPPLEMENTARY/SECOND OPPORTUNITY EXAMINATION QUESTION PAPER
EXAMINER
DR C PEEL
MODERATOR Ms EMILY M. BROWN
INSTRUCTIONS
1.Answer ONE question from Section A, and TWO QUESTIONS from Section B.
2.Read all the questions carefully before answering them.
3. Indicate whether you are a FT, PT, or DE student.
THIS EXAMINATION QUESTION PAPER CONSISTS OF _3_PAGES {Including this front page)
1
|
|
2 Page 2 |
▲back to top |
SECTION A:
Section A consists of one compulsory question. ALL CANDIDATES MUST ATTEMPT THIS
QUESTION. You may NOT substitute this question with a question of your choice.
Question 1
50 marks
Explain how the practices listed below might engage one or more of the law categories:
common-law, international conventions, statutory law and/or the Namibian Constitution.
Use real-life examples for the appropriate explanation and application of each law
category above to resolve grievances in the following areas of interaction:
{a) Defamation ................................................................................................(..1.0 marks)
{b) Marriage .......................................................................................................(.1..0 marks)
{c) Human Rights ...............................................................................................(.1. 0 marks)
{d) Social media etiquette ................................................................................(..1.0 marks)
{e) lnheritance ..................................................................................................(..1..0 marks)
SECTION B: ANSWER TWO QUESTIONS ONLY
Question 2
25 marks
Discuss, and illustrate with examples, how the concept of "public interest" may be used
to defend journalists and other content creators from censure for their controversial
news stories and public statements. What does Maractho {2014) mean when she argues
that content generated in the "public interest" can "assist the function of democratic life"
{Maractho, 2014) in modern societies?
Question 3
25 marks
{a) Identify and describe the four categories of media ownership, indicating their
functions and their obligations to their stakeholders ......................................8. marks
{b) Propose one media outlet as an example of each category ...........................8. marks
{c) Explain why you believe each media outlet fits the category of ownership that
you have assigned it .............................................................................................9...marks
2
|
|
3 Page 3 |
▲back to top |
Question 4
25 marks
(a) Define and explain one of the following ethical principles: Either Immanuel Kant's
Deontological (Duty) Ethics, or John Stuart Mill's Utilitarian (consequential) Ethics, or
Aristotle's Virtue Ethics .............................................................................................1..0. marks
(b) The lsraeli-Hamas war in Gaza in the Middle East has grabbed the world media's
attention. Some commentators have been enraged at the images of the Israeli military
bombing residential areas with huge losses of life, including men, women and children
of all ages. Other media commentators have defended the Israeli Army, saying Hamas
attacked and killed Israeli civilians first, and is now sing Gaza's civilians as human shields
while firing rockets at Israeli cities from those residential areas. Write a newspaper
commentary, using one of the above principles, to argue for or against the Israeli army's
actions ..................................15 marks.
Question 5
25 marks
The Defence Act, Correctional Services Act, Communications Act and the Common Law
rule of 11Contempt of Court" place limits and exceptions on the freedom of speech and
expression in Namibia.
(i) From your understanding of the named legal provisions, provide justifications for the
limits imposed on free speech and expression by each of the four provisions.
(4x5marks = 20 marks)
(ii) Do you consider defamation to be a form of censorship? Please explain your
answer
(5 marks)
End of Examination
Total: 100 marks
3