Research
Interests:
At
the heart of my research is this fundamental question:
How do we create new creative content and what is owed
to those who influence or contribute in some way to that
new communication? Specifically, my research looks at
the cultural, historical and legal foundations for the
ownership of communication and reflects on the implications
of a system that is increasingly privatizing forms of
and forums for communication. The answers to these questions
have enormous significance for a democratic system and
the protection of the public domain -- that mass of freely
available material such as facts, data, systems, methods,
ideas, theories and other uncopyrightable material from
which new communications are born. Thus, my research is
concerned with the shrinking of the public domain –
particularly within the context of the digital landscape
-- due to ever-expanding copyright regulations and attempts
at censorship.
Selection
of Recent & Reoccurring Courses:
Introduction
to Journalism and Mass Communication
(JOUR
100) Introduction to Public Relations (JOUR
341); Public Relations Writing (JOUR 344); Public Relations
Campaigns (JOUR 440); Mass Media Law and Ethics (JOUR
450); Communication Ownership (COMS 780 )
Biography:
Victoria
Smith Ekstrand is an assistant professor at Bowling Green
State University, where she teaches media law and public
relations. Before attending the University of North Carolina
- Chapel Hill for her doctorate, she was Director of Corporate
Communications for The Associated Press in New York City,
where she handled media relations and employee and marketing
communications for the news service. She worked for the
AP for nine years, and before that worked for the Arbitron
Company and for radio stations in upstate New York, New
York City and Long Island.
Selected
Publications:
"A
Content Analysis of Plagiarism: How Journalists Define
Plagiarism After Jayson Blair." A content analysis
of mass media coverage of the Jayson Blair incident. Forthcoming.
"Teaching
Diversity in Media Law." Upcoming survey of law division
of Association of Educators in Journalism and Mass Communication.
For national conference, August 2006.
"Masked
Identities:The Role of Anonymous Speech During the Constitutional
Debate." With Cassandra Imfeld, Ph.D. Preparing article
for submission to American Journalism. Forthcoming.
"Protecting
the Public Policy Rationale of Copyright: Reconsidering
Copyright Misuse," Communication Law and Policy.
Fall 2006.
News
Piracy and the Hot News Doctrine: Origins in Law and Implications
for the Digital Age. LFB Scholarly: New York, 2005.
"The
Music Industry and the Legislative Development of the
Digital Millennium Copyright Act’s Online Service
Provider Provision," Communication Law and Policy.
Co-authored with Cassandra Imfeld, University of North
Carolina – Chapel Hill. Summer 2005.
"Unmasking
Jane and John Doe: Online Anonymity and the First Amendment," Communication Law and Policy. Fall 2003.
"Drawing
Swords after Feist: Efforts to Legislate the Database
Pirate," Communication Law and Policy. Spring
2002.
"Want
Online News? These are the Terms. A Legal Analysis of
the Top 50 User Agreements," Journalism and Mass
Communication Quarterly. Fall 2002.
"Non-Legal
Bibliography," Media Law Notes, newsletter of
the Law Division of the Association of Educators in Journalism
and Mass Communication. Fall 2005.
"Legal
Bibliography," Media Law Notes, newsletter of
the Law Division of the Association of Educators in Journalism
and Mass Communication. Winter 2005
"
Copyright and Consequences: Central European and U.S.
Perspectives," book review, Journalism &
Mass Communication Quarterly. Summer 2004.
"
The Ultimate Assist: The Relationship and Broadcast Strategies
of the NBA and Television Networks," book review, Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly. Autumn
2003.
"
The 21st Century Plagiarist: An Old Problem Meets a New
Age," book review, The Review of Communication. April 2002.
Awards
and Honors:
AEJMC
"Promising Professor" Award, 2002.
AEJMC
Law Division Top Paper Winner, 2001 and 2002
Professional
awards from the Long Island Society of Professional Journalists
and the L.I. Coalition for Fair Broadcasting |
