Identify the elements of a defamation claim and the defences most likely to apply.
Public Relations & Media
Media Law Essentials on Defamation, Privacy and Contempt
Gives communicators and journalists a working grasp of defamation, privacy and contempt law so they can pre-clear risky content and respond correctly to a legal threat.
🗓️Duration5 training days
📚Content4 modules · 8 sessions
🎓On completionAccredited attendance certificate
About the programme
Course Overview
Most defamation and privacy claims against media and communications teams arise from content that a trained eye would have flagged before publication, not from deliberate risk-taking, because the people drafting headlines and social posts rarely have a working model of how these laws actually apply. This course gives non-lawyers a practical, working grasp of defamation, privacy and contempt law sufficient to catch risky content before it goes out and to respond correctly in the first hours after a legal threat arrives. Participants work through the elements of a defamation claim and the defences of truth, honest opinion and public interest, the privacy tests that apply to identifying individuals in sensitive contexts, and the contempt rules that restrict reporting on active legal proceedings. The course uses real headline and social post examples, edited to remove identifying detail, to practise spotting risk before publication, and includes a legal-threat response simulation covering a solicitor's letter demanding removal of published content. Delivered by drawing a clear line between what requires legal sign-off and what a trained communicator can clear independently, the course reduces both reckless publication and unnecessary over-caution that blunts legitimate reporting and campaigning.
Expected Learning Outcomes
Assess privacy risk when identifying individuals in sensitive personal or medical contexts.
Recognise contempt of court risk when reporting on active criminal or civil proceedings.
Pre-clear content against a documented risk checklist before publication.
Escalate genuinely high-risk content to legal counsel with the right supporting information.
Respond to a solicitor's letter or takedown demand within the appropriate initial timeframe.
Correct or retract published content in a way that limits further legal exposure.
Who Should Attend
Communications and press officers publishing on behalf of organisations
Journalists and editors without formal legal training
Social media managers responsible for public-facing content
In-house counsel supporting communications and media teams
PR agency staff advising clients on publication risk
Content moderators reviewing user-generated or third-party material
Course Modules
Select any module to see its sessions and points.
01Understanding Defamation Risk and Defences
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Identifying the Elements of a Defamation Claim
- Assess whether a statement is capable of lowering someone's reputation in the eyes of others.
- Distinguish a statement of fact from a statement of opinion for defamation purposes.
- Identify when a statement sufficiently identifies an individual to support a claim.
- Recognise republication risk when sharing or quoting another outlet's defamatory content.
Session 2Applying Truth, Honest Opinion and Public Interest Defences
- Assess whether sufficient evidence exists to support a truth defence before publication.
- Draft opinion content clearly labelled and based on stated facts to support an honest opinion defence.
- Evaluate whether a public interest defence is likely to apply to a contentious story.
- Document the evidence base relied on before publishing a claim about an individual or organisation.
02Managing Privacy Risk in Published Content
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Applying Privacy Tests to Personal Information
- Assess whether an individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy over disclosed information.
- Balance privacy interests against public interest justification before publishing sensitive detail.
- Apply extra caution when reporting on health, sexuality or family matters involving private individuals.
- Obtain consent for identifying detail where privacy risk cannot otherwise be justified.
Session 2Handling Images, Location Detail and Identifying Information
- Assess whether an image or caption inadvertently identifies a person who should remain anonymous.
- Remove or blur identifying detail when publishing content involving minors or vulnerable adults.
- Review user-generated content for privacy risk before republishing or embedding it.
- Apply extra safeguards when covering court cases involving anonymity orders.
03Reporting Safely on Legal Proceedings
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Recognising Contempt of Court Risk
- Identify when reporting risks prejudicing an active criminal trial under contempt rules.
- Recognise reporting restrictions and anonymity orders applying to a specific case.
- Avoid publishing prior convictions or prejudicial background during an active trial period.
- Check the current status of a case before publishing content that could amount to contempt.
Session 2Coordinating Coverage of Sensitive Ongoing Cases
- Consult legal counsel before publishing content on a case with known reporting restrictions.
- Brief spokespeople on what they may and may not say about an ongoing legal matter.
- Hold content pending legal clearance when a case status changes unexpectedly.
- Maintain a log of reporting restriction checks for cases the organisation covers regularly.
04Responding to Legal Threats and Complaints
2 sessions · 8 points
Session 1Handling a Solicitor's Letter or Takedown Demand
- Acknowledge a legal threat letter within the appropriate initial timeframe without admitting liability.
- Route a legal threat to counsel with the full publication history and supporting evidence.
- Assess whether a temporary hold on disputed content is warranted pending legal review.
- Avoid making public comment on a legal threat before counsel has advised on the response.
Session 2Correcting, Retracting and Learning from Legal Incidents
- Draft a correction or retraction that resolves the legal concern without overstating fault.
- Publish a correction prominently enough to satisfy the standard the complaint requires.
- Record the incident and its resolution for the organisation's legal risk register.
- Update pre-publication checklists based on the specific risk the incident revealed.
What the participant receives
4 course modules
A structured syllabus
8 training sessions
across 5 days
32 detailed points
Applied, detailed content
Accredited attendance certificate
On completing the programme
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