State Bar of Wisconsin

Media-Law Relations Committee

The Media-Law Relations Committee, made up of members and people in the media, is responsible for encouraging greater communication between the media, the judiciary and the members. Projects that the Media-Law Relations Committee implement to encourage communication include:

• The Lawyers Guide to the News Media assists attorneys in better understanding the constitutional rights of the media and the practical ways news gathering organizations function.
  
  
• Published in cooperation with the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association and the Wisconsin Newspaper Association, the News Reporters Legal Handbook is designed to help journalists understand the legal and judicial process.
  
  
• The annual Golden Gavel Awards recognize outstanding law-related public service messages broadcast or published by television, radio, newspapers and other media. The awards are presented to media professionals in front of their peers at the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association (WBA) Convention and the Wisconsin Newspapers Association (WNA) Conventions in the first quarter of the year.
  
  
• The Courts & Media Seminar, an annual role-reversal exercise for journalists and judges, is part of an on-going effort of the Supreme Court and the Media-Law Relations Committee to educate the media about the justice system and to open lines of communication between judges and journalists. In FY 2005, due to budget constraints, the seminar did not take place and was replaced with the Wisconsin Newspaper Association Convention panel discussions (below).
  
  
• In FY05 the committee coordinated three Wisconsin Newspaper Association (WNA) Panel Discussions, which were held at the WNA Convention Feb. 3-4, 2005. The panel discussions included:
  
  
  • Freedom of Information: Client Privilege served as an educational track focusing on the proper use of attorney client privilege. Panel members discussed how this privilege affects reporting.
    
    
  • Health Insurance Portability and Accountability (HIPPA) Act addressed how HIPPA was originally created to allow individuals to transfer health care information to other providers, however since in effect; HIPPA has created issues for public relations practitioners representing health care organizations. The panel identified the things that could be done going forward as well as promote professional development in order to help each side understand the issue.
    
    
  • Public Confidence in the Wisconsin Court System addressed concerns about wrongful conviction and the court system, particularly in the Fox Valley and offered preventative maintenance ideas.
    
    

Committee resources

• Commitee roster
• Wisconsin News Reporters' Legal Handbook 1.9 MB