Secondary Sources
Secondary law resources are books, news and law review articles that discuss cases and issues in the law. News articles will inform you of developments in an area of law. Law review articles will provide a history and have citations to key cases and codes that are relevant for a topic. Books will provide context and a broad overview; they will also cite key cases and codes.
Table of Contents: Secondary Research
Search for Books
- Library Search: Advanced SearchChange the "Any Field" drop-down to Title to search by title. Under "Tweak my results" in the right menu, limit to "Library Catalog" to find books and videos available in the library.
- Ebook Central (ProQuest)Ebook Central titles can be discovered in Library Search > Library. If you search it directly, you can search the fulltext content of all the books in the collection and find more specific references to people, places, concepts, etc. Sign in to add ebooks to your virtual bookshelf and for highlights and annotations.
- WorldCat via FirstSearchSearch this to discover books not held by Ithaca College Library that you can borrow using Interlibrary Loan. Click the "Get It" arrow to link into the Interlibrary Loan system. Consider requesting just a chapter, not the whole book, if that is needed; it will arrive sooner.
Books & Articles by Subject
Click on one of the subject headings to display all the books & articles in the IC Library that contain that particular subject. Use the "Material Type" drop down to focus on Books/Ebooks or Articles.
- Broadcasting Law and legislation
- Confidential communications--Press--United States.
- Constitutional Law--United States
- Copyright United States
- Fair use (Copyright)
- Freedom of information--United States
- Freedom of speech--United States
- Freedom of the press -- United States
- Government and the press--United States.
- Hate speech United States
- Internet Censorship United States
- Internet Governance
- Internet Law and legislation United States
- Internet pornography
- Libel and slander
- Mass media Law and legislation United States
- Motion pictures Law and legislation United States
- Obscenity (Law) United States
- Press Law -- United States
- Public records Law and legislation United States
- Radio Law and legislation United States
- Telecommunications Law and Legislation United States
- Television Law and legislation United States
- United States. Constitution.
- United States. Federal Communication Commission
- United States. Supreme Court.
Articles
- Nexis Uni (LexisNexis)Highly Recommended: Under "Guided Search" click on Law Reviews. If you find a law review on target to your target, it will cite key cases and codes (primary sources).
- Communications Daily1984-current. This daily newsletter covers the telecommunications, broadcasting, and cable television industries as well as the electronic media. Timely coverage of domestic and international interest spans all aspects of electronic communications, including voice, data, video,satellite, cable and broadcasting.
- Communication Source (EBSCO)Contains content from communications journals, magazines and other publications, covering related disciplines including linguistics, rhetoric and discourse, speech-language pathology, and media studies.
Contents: Indexing, abstracts, and full-text articles. 1900-present. - EBSCO Research LibraryIf you search EBSCO Research Library you can search Communication Source, Business Source and Academic Search Premier at the same time.
Advocacy Groups and Think Tanks
Be sure to evaluate and acknowledge what the organization's mission is. Seek multiple perspectives (academic think tanks, associations, organizations, commercial, governmental, etc.).
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)For almost 100 years, the ACLU has worked to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed by the Constitution and laws of the United States. (About page)
- Benton FoundationBenton believes that communications policy—rooted in the values of access, equity, and diversity—has the power to deliver new opportunities and strengthen communities to bridge our divides. (About page)
- Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT)CDT is a champion of global online civil liberties and human rights, driving policy outcomes that keep the internet open, innovative, and free. (About page)
- Center for Media & Social Impact (AU)The Center for Media & Social Impact, based at American University's School of Communication in Washington, D.C., is an innovation lab and research center that creates, studies, and showcases media for social impact.
- Center for the Study of the Public DomainThe Center for the Study of the Public Domain at Duke Law School is the first university center in the world devoted to the other side of the picture. Founded in September of 2002, as part of the school's wider intellectual property program, its mission is to promote research and scholarship on the contributions of the public domain to speech, culture, science and innovation, to promote debate about the balance needed in our intellectual property system and to translate academic research into public policy solutions. (About page)
- ConsumersUnion: Phones & MediaThe Advocacy Division of Consumer Reports, this page concerns policy concerning phones and media.
- Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)Created by Congress in 1967 to ensure public aceess to non-commercial educational programming.
- Creative CommonsCreative Commons helps you legally share your knowledge and creativity to build a more equitable, accessible, and innovative world. We unlock the full potential of the internet to drive a new era of development, growth and productivity. (What we do)
- Cyber Policy Institute (Stanford)Working across disciplines, the Cyber Policy Center aims to understand how digital technologies are impacting democracy, security, and geopolitics globally. The center connects academia, the tech industry and civil society with policymakers around the world to address the most pressing policy concerns.
- Digital Media Law ProjectAfter seven years (2007-2014) of providing legal assistance to independent journalism through various methods, the Digital Media Law Project is keeping the website online, but the website and its contents are no longer being updated,
- Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)The leading nonprofit defending digital privacy, free speech, and innovation. -tagline
- Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC)EPIC is a public interest research center in Washington, DC. EPIC was established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging privacy and civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, freedom of expression, and democratic values in the information age. (About page)
- Freedom Forum InstituteThe Freedom Forum Institute, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is the education and outreach partner of the Freedom Forum and the Newseum. The Institute includes the First Amendment Center, the Religious Freedom Center, the Newseum’s education department and diversity and inclusion programs. (About page)
- Freedom HouseFreedom House is an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom and democracy around the world. We analyze the challenges to freedom, advocate for greater political rights and civil liberties, and support frontline activists to defend human rights and promote democratic change. Founded in 1941, Freedom House was the first American organization to champion the advancement of freedom globally. (About page)
- FreePressOrganization that advocates for media reform.
- International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC)The International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition Inc., (IACC) is a Washington, D.C.-based non-profit organization devoted solely to combating product counterfeiting and piracy. Formed in 1979, we are the longest-standing organization of our kind. (Our History page)
- Media Law Research CenterMLRC is a non-profit membership association for content providers in all media, and for their defense lawyers, providing a wide range of resources on media and content law and policy issues. These include news and analysis of legal, legislative and regulatory developments; litigation resources and practice guides; and national and international media law conferences and meetings. MLRC also works with its membership to respond to legislative and policy proposals, and speaks to the press and public on media law and First Amendment issues. (About page)
- Project CensoredProject Censored was founded by Carl Jensen in 1976, and is a media research program working in cooperation with numerous independent media groups in the US. Project Censored’s principle objective is training of University students in media research and First Amendment issues and the advocacy for, and protection of, free press rights in the United States. Project Censored has trained over 1,500 students in investigative research in the past three decades. (About page)
- Public KnowledgePublic Knowledge promotes freedom of expression, an open internet, and access to affordable communications tools and creative works. We work to shape policy on behalf of the public interest. (About page)
- Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the PressThe Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is a nonprofit organization based in Washington, D.C., that provides pro bono legal services and resources to and on behalf of journalists.
- Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy (Harvard)The Shorenstein Center on Media, Politics and Public Policy is a Harvard University research center dedicated to exploring and illuminating the intersection of press, politics and public policy in theory and practice.
Streaming Audio-Visual
- The Communicators (C-SPAN)Half-hour conversations with the leaders who shape our digital future. Subscribe to Podcasts, too.
- Federal Communication Commission: YouTubeThis is the official channel for the Federal Communications Commission. An independent U.S. government agency, the FCC is the United States' primary authority for communications laws, regulation and technological innovation. (About page)
- Federal Trade Commission: YouTubeThis is the FTC's YouTube page, not on the FTC's official website. The Federal Trade Commission deals with issues that touch the economic life of every American. It is the only federal agency with both consumer protection and competition jurisdiction in broad sectors of the economy. (About page)
- U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee: YouTubeThe House E&C has oversight of the Federal Communications Commission.
