Wissler chapter on press disputes cited on First Amendment Law Professors Blog


A chapter written by Roselle Wissler, Research Director of the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law’s Lodestar Dispute Resolution Program, recently was cited on the First Amendment Law Professors Blog.

The chapter was co-authored by John Soloski, who was director of the University of Iowa School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and is now a professor at the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication at the University of Georgia. It was published in Beyond the Courtroom: Alternatives for Resolving Press Disputes, edited by Richard T. Kaplar, Vice President of the Media Institute in Arlington, Vir.

The abstract states: “This chapter describes an experimental alternative program for resolving media libel disputes out of court and explains why the program was created. The chapter first discusses the findings of an empirical study of the libel litigation system. That study found that the primary objectives of plaintiffs who sue for libel are not met by the current system and that the media incur large financial and other costs in defending libel suits. The experimental, voluntary, alternative program that was created in response to these findings is described, along with the potential benefits that it could offer both parties relative to the current system and to other media libel litigation reform proposals.”

Read the blog posting here.

Find the chapter here.

Wissler, who is also a Faculty Fellow at the Center for Law, Science & Innovation, conducts empirical research on mediation, arbitration, and other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) processes. Her research and writing address various policy issues relating to ADR and examine the factors that contribute to the use and effectiveness of ADR processes. Her other research interests include alternate compensation systems and decision making concerning liability and damages in civil cases.

 

Judy Nichols, judith.nichols@asu.net
Office of Communications, College of Law
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