La catastrophe est un événement ponctuel ou sériel, d'origine naturelle ou humaine et qui touche de nombreuses victimes en causant d'importants dégâts. Générateur d'un fort impact émotionnel, elle est un fait d'actualité justifiant un traitement médiatique. Ce traitement a vocation à informer le public. Il va osciller entre recherche de vérité et quête de profit pour les médias. Si la recherche de vérité est louable, elle peut parfois aboutir à la mise en cause de personnes ou d'institutions. Cette mise en cause participe du travail d'information et n'est, dès lors qu’elle est justifiée, pas contestable. En revanche, si cette dernière est abusive, elle entrera dans le champ pénal et aura vocation à être sanctionnée par le biais des infractions de presse. Le fait de rapporter la catastrophe peut également emporter d'autres conséquences judiciaires. Si la préservation du droit à l'information est primordiale, l'exposition d'un événement, particulièrement celui de la catastrophe est parfois abusif. Cet abus est le fruit d'une surenchère dans le sensationnalisme, comportement justifié par une quête de profit. Constitutifs d'infractions ou source de préjudice, ces comportements sont sanctionnés et ouvrent droit à réparation. Au delà, l'exposition de la catastrophe peut parfois, en dehors de tout abus, être source de préjudice qu'il convient d'indemniser. / The disaster is a punctual or serial event, of natural or human origin, which touches many lives by causing extensive damage. Generator of a strong emotional impact, it's a news requiring a media coverage. This coverage is intended to inform the public. It will oscillate between truth-seeking and profit-seeking for the media. If the search for truth is commendable, it can sometimes lead to the questioning of persons or institutions. This questioning is part of the work of information and is, therefore it is justified, indisputable. However, if it is misused, it will enter the criminal field and will have vocation to be sanctioned by the means of the infringements of press. The reporting of the disaster can also create other legal consequences. If preserving the right to information is of primary importance, the exposure of an event, especially the disaster, is sometimes abusive. This abuse is the result of an escalation in sensationalism, behavior justified by a pursuit of profit. Constitutive of infringements or sources of damage, these behaviors are sanctioned and open entitlement to compensation. In addition, the exposure of the disaster can sometimes, without any abuse, be a source of harm that should be compensated.

Zugl.: Hagen, FernUniversiẗat, Diss., 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 347-364).

Thesis (MPhil (Journalism))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The relationship between the media and the law is an important one, especially in an adolescent democracy like South Africa. On the one hand the law has the power to control the fundamental right to freedom of expression – the very core of the media’s existence. On the other hand, however, the media are vital mechanisms through which the law can ensure that citizens know that justice is being done. The media are therefore also powerful; having the ability to influence people’s perceptions of and respect for the law. The relationship between the media and the law is characterised internationally by frequent tensions and misunderstandings – a trend that has not escaped South Africa. Whereas some of these strains may be explained with reference to both the media and the law’s respective duties in a democracy; many problems are also caused as result of misunderstandings and inaccurate expectations of both parties’ responsibilities in a democracy. This study was thus launched from the premise that there is room and need for improvement in the relationship between the media and the law. The way in which citizens perceive the law (or legal consciousness) was investigated; as were the sources of such perceptions. Making use of a questionnaire distributed to a sample of students at two Western Cape universities, it was established that students’ opinions of lawyers and judicial officers are generally positive, but that they do not have much confidence in the efficacy of the South African legal system. The feedback also indicates that news and popular media are the most important sources of such opinions of the law – a context-specific finding that echoes similar results obtained internationally. Popular media as an important source of perceptions give rise to several concerns. Not only do citizens struggle to distinguish between fact and fiction in popular media; but most of the popular (legally-themed) media available in South Africa are furthermore imported from the USA. This tendency, defined in this study as the Hollywoodization of South African law, lead to concerns that citizens may not only be basing their opinions of the law on fiction; but also that such media are premised on a very different (American) legal system from our own. The importance of news media as a source was investigated more specifically by making use of a case study (the Inge Lotz/ Fred van der Vyver story). The way in which pre-trial publicity and court reporting may lead to the sacrifice of a defendant’s right to a fair trial was investigated by looking at the influences of news media coverage on the parties involved; the presiding officers, assessors and witnesses; and the perceptions lay audiences may have of the specific case and (consequently) the law in general. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Verhouding tussen die media en die reg is ’n belangrike een, veral in ’n jong demokrasie soos Suid-Afrika. Aan die een kant het die reg die mag om die hart van die media se bestaansreg – die grondwetlike reg op vryheid van spraak – te beheer. Aan die ander kant is die media ook ’n noodsaaklike meganisme wat aan landsburgers oordra wanneer geregtigheid geskied, en wanneer nie. Die media kan dus die doeltreffendheid van die reg in ’n demokrasie ernstig beïnvloed. Die verhouding tussen die media en die reg word wêreldwyd met misverstande en probleme gekenmerk – ’n tendens waarvan Suid-Afrika nie afgesonder is nie. Hoewel van dié stremminge veroorsaak word deur die partye se onderskeie natuurlike pligte in ’n demokrasie, word sommige probleme ook veroorsaak deur misverstande en onregverdige verwagtinge van wat beide partye se verantwoordelikhede behels. Die studie is gevolglik onderneem met die uitgangspunt dat daar moontlikheid vir verbetering in die verhouding tussen die media en die reg is. Die wyse waarop burgers die reg beskou of ervaar (waarna in die studie verwys word as legal consciousness of regbewussyn) word ondersoek; en só ook die bronne van burgers se regsbewussyn. Deur gebruik te maak van ’n vraelys wat aan ’n groep studente by twee Wes-Kaapse Universiteite uitgedeel is, word daar vasgestel dat studente oor die algemeen baie respek het vir die regslui, maar min vertroue in die Suid- Afrikaanse regstelsel het. Die terugvoering bepaal ook dat nuus- en populêre/ gewilde media die belangrikste bronne van regsbewussyn is. Dié bevinding, wat konteksspesifiek tot Suid-Afrika is, bevestig soortgelyke gevolgtrekkings wat internasionaal ook aanvaar is. Die feit dat populêre media ’n belangrike bron van regsbewussyn is, lei tot talle bekommernisse. Behalwe dat daar reeds bevind is dat gebruikers van dié media nie kan onderskei tussen wat feite en wat fiksie is nie, word daar in Suid-Afrika hoofsaaklik Amerikaanse populêre media met regstemas versprei. Die gevaar is dus dat Suid- Afrikaanse burgers dalk besig is om hul indrukke van die reg te baseer op beide fiksie én ’n Amerikaanse voorstelling van die regstelsel (die sg. Hollywoodization van die Suid- Afrikaanse reg). Die studie beskou verder die belangrikheid van die nuusmedia as ’n bron deur ’n gevallestudie van ’n bekende Suid-Afrikaanse moordondersoek en regssaak (die Inge Lotz/ Fred van der Vyver-saak). Die aard van beide voorverhoor-publisiteit en hofverslaggewing en die moontlikheid dat dit skade aan die regverdigheid van ’n verhoor kan verrig, word veral van nader beskou. Spesifieke aandag word ook geskenk aan die moontlike invloede van dié tipe mediadekking op die betrokke partye; die onafhanklikheid van voortsittende beamptes, assessore en getuies; en die indrukke wat by gewone burgers oor ’n spesifieke saak – en dus die reg in geheel – geskep kan word.

The function of a journalist is not only to inform but also to investigate. Since the public has a right to information, jurists need to protect journalists that report from dangerous war-torn regions in order to keep the world informed. As the primary reliable source and often eyewitness to humanitarian atrocities a journalist has a duty to report such atrocities. There has for several decades now been uncertainty regarding the fact whether journalists should be granted special protection or not. On the one hand it is argued that journalists should be protected in terms of humanitarian law due to their humanitarian function, the service that they render in facilitating the free flow of information to the world and the role that journalists play in society. On the other hand, some argue that the protection of journalists is not the responsibility of the international community but rather their individual national governments or local news organisations. / Jurisprudence / LL.M.

The Media High Council (MHC) was put in place by the 2003 constitution of the Republic of Rwanda as amended to today. As article 34 clarifies, the MHC is an independent institution which aims to address issues of media and press freedom. In the same spirit, the law number 30 /2009 of 16/9/2009 determines its mission, organisation and functioning. According to article 2 of this law, the Media High Council is responsible for protection, control and promotion of media and media professionals. Based on normative theories, qualitative methods and thematic analysis, this study has explored the policy formation of the Media High Council and how it has been balancing the seeming contradictory responsibilities of protecting and controlling media from 2007 to 2010. / Communication Science / M.A. (Communication)

This dissertation deals with the topic of development of Czechoslovak press law during the First Republic, primarily through the legislative process of press law or of legislation related to press law, adopted by the National Assembly of the First Republic, and also by the impact that adopted legislation, and in particular the Act on Protection of the Republic in 1923 and amendments of press law in 1924, had on the rulings of the Supreme Court during the First Republic. It takes a comprehensive look at the development of press law during the First Republic based on the one hand on legislation carried over from Austro-Hungarian and later amended, and on the other hand on new legislation adopted during the First Republic. The study also analyses the common features of the legislative process of individual press regulations and at least in part the role of the Supreme Court in the interpreting of valid law.

The function of a journalist is not only to inform but also to investigate. Since the public has a right to information, jurists need to protect journalists that report from dangerous war-torn regions in order to keep the world informed. As the primary reliable source and often eyewitness to humanitarian atrocities a journalist has a duty to report such atrocities. There has for several decades now been uncertainty regarding the fact whether journalists should be granted special protection or not. On the one hand it is argued that journalists should be protected in terms of humanitarian law due to their humanitarian function, the service that they render in facilitating the free flow of information to the world and the role that journalists play in society. On the other hand, some argue that the protection of journalists is not the responsibility of the international community but rather their individual national governments or local news organisations. / Jurisprudence / LL.M.

This graduation thesis, entitled "Results of libel in press in the relation to the relevant moral rights especially in the area of private law in the Czech Republic" examines press interference into relevant moral rights. The first chapter describes the historical foundations of personal rights protection, as well as their international and European connections. The second chapter discusses the power of media, and the means used for its maintenance and strengthening. In the third chapter, an outline of motivations for publication of news press, which balance between righteousness and libel. In the fourth chapter, an assessment of the clash between freedom of speech and protection of privacy, which are categories guaranteed in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The content of the fifth chapter is fundamental because it provides a thorough analysis of the law which governs personal rights, with a focus on the civil code, press law and procedural rules. The sixth chapter brings sight of rules established by autoregulation. It deals with self- censorship, the journalist's code of ethics, self-controlling authorities and so on. In the seventh chapter, the author examines the motivation behind submitting an accusation for the breach of personal rights. The motivation can be a real and legitimate defence...

The Media High Council (MHC) was put in place by the 2003 constitution of the Republic of Rwanda as amended to today. As article 34 clarifies, the MHC is an independent institution which aims to address issues of media and press freedom. In the same spirit, the law number 30 /2009 of 16/9/2009 determines its mission, organisation and functioning. According to article 2 of this law, the Media High Council is responsible for protection, control and promotion of media and media professionals. Based on normative theories, qualitative methods and thematic analysis, this study has explored the policy formation of the Media High Council and how it has been balancing the seeming contradictory responsibilities of protecting and controlling media from 2007 to 2010. / Communication Science / M.A. (Communication)