7 Laws Every Blogger Must Know to Avoid Lawsuits

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Bloggers, like “traditional” journalists, are protected from legal action by a variety of laws. However, they also have unique responsibilities under the law, and not all bloggers are aware of those responsibilities. What does the law require of you, and how can you avoid a lawsuit?

The laws discussed below only apply to bloggers living in the United States. If you’re not a resident of the United States, your own laws may be very different. For example, while the United States permits Holocaust denial and other forms of repugnant speech, the German government is not as lenient.

According to Sherwin Arzani, a civil attorney in Los Angeles, CA, “This doesn’t give you a right to speak without consequence, however. It’s important to remember that this amendment is all about the relationship between citizens and the government: it doesn’t protect you from other citizens.”
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Crime Beat: How to Cover Crime Compellingly

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Writing about crime isn’t always easy, especially if you’re just getting started as a freelancer. We’ve all read newspaper features that report crime in dry monotone, yet we all know how successful a good crime novel can be. As a blogger, the trick is to strike a balance between the two. To engage readers, you need to cover crime compellingly without making it a complete work of fiction.

Here are some tips for writing great blog posts about crime, law, and justice. [Read more…]

Social Media and Law Enforcement

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While most people may see social media as a way to share their personal activities – what they ate, where they ate, where they’re going on vacation, how they feel, #OOTD, etc. – we can no longer deny that there are other applications of social media.

Of course, there is social media marketing which benefits businesses big and small, but on the “good” side (that is not to say the above are bad), there is the connection between social media and law enforcement. And a growing one, too. [Read more…]

5 Legal Nightmares to Scare you on Halloween

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Trick of TreatWith Halloween rapidly approaching, almost everyone is in the mood for a good ghost, zombie or vampire story. But while there’s always a good chill to be had from a scary tale or movie, some of the most frightening things aren’t works of fiction or stories at all, they’re simple facts.

Of those types of scary things, there is little more frightening than the law itself and how it can impact our daily lives.

As bloggers, we’re even more vulnerable than most when it comes to legal issues because, in addition to the usual spate of laws one has to follow day-to-day, we have the responsibilities of dealing with mass media law as well. Something, previously, few outside of the TV, radio, print and related industries had to deal with.

So, if you want some scary thoughts to give you something to ponder, here are five of the scariest legal realities and what they mean for you. [Read more…]