The Influences of Media on the Law - Research Paper Example

The above ‘recognition’ of the media’s power is represented in many judicial decisions. Because of the significance of the role of media to all forms of legal activities, the investigation of the relationship of media with the law has been considered as valuable setting the limits in which media should operate normally.Current research is based on the hypothesis that the media affects the law. More specifically it is assumed that the relationship between media and law is direct and close particularly regarding the protection of rights and freedoms as recognized by the states in the international community.

The current study examines primarily the influence of media on the law. This influence is going to be investigated as of its particular aspects. In this context, the interference of media in the private life of the individual – a common field of interaction between the media and the law – is going to be thoroughly examined. On the other hand, the freedom of media – compared to other industrial sectors – to intervene directly in the private and public life2 is going to be examined as of its reasoning and its possible limitation regarding particular private or public activities.

Generally, it has been proved in the literature that media can influence the law in many ways. The ‘intrusion’ of media in the private life and the examination of this activity by the Court is just an indicative – a quite common – form of interaction between media and law. However, media can influence law in many other ways in accordance with the targets set in each particular occasion (surveillance of private/ public activities, provision of evidence in the court, publication of articles/ copyright law, publication of material characterized by the law as ‘prohibited’, violation of rules related with the online commercial activity and so on).

All the above issues are going to be examined in the particular study trying to identify the points of interaction as well as the points of conflict between media and the law.