ABSTRACT
The foray by content providers into online distribution of news raises a myriad of legal and policy issues for both traditional news media outlets and a host of other news distributors. Although the application of First Amendment principles and tort rules to new technologies is not a novel issue, the newest communication medium, the Internet, presents an array of challenges to traditional communication law. This chapter begins with a discussion of media regulatory models that have evolved in response to the emergence of new communication technologies. It then examines how existing legal principles have been applied to the Internet in two areas critical to online news. First is the question of personal jurisdiction. Where in the world can news organizations and journalists be forced to defend themselves against lawsuits based on their online publications? The second issue discussed in the chapter is that of statutory immunity provided to interactive computer services for republishing on the Internet information provided by third parties.
