Director of the JMSC’s Media Law Project, Doreen Weisenhaus, recently spoke at two international seminars in September 2007 where she discussed Asian media developments, including those detailed in her book, Hong Kong Media Law: A Guide for Journalists and Media Professionals. 

Weisenhaus was an invited speaker Sept. 17 at the biennial London conference organized by the Media Law Resource Centre (MLRC), a New York-based information clearinghouse for media organizations. More than 200 media lawyers from around the world participated in moderated discussions on the latest developments in media law and practice, including defamation, privacy and online liability. Speakers and participants included judges from the European Court of Human Rights, Australia and the UK and media lawyers for Gannett, BBC, CNN, Financial Times, The New York Times, Time magazine and Dow Jones.

Weisenhaus also recently addressed a forum entitled “Responsible Media in Democracy?” hosted by the Lung Ying-tai Cultural Foundation in Taipei, where she discussed media ethics and the role of the press in democracy. 

“Taiwan is a new democracy where every institution is being tested, the justice system and the media in particular,” said JMSC Visiting Professor Lung Ying-Tai, who began the foundation and its Taipei Salon in 2005 to promote international cultural exchanges and intellectual dialogues in a global context. “In recent years people have grown very frustrated and impatient with the low quality of the media and many have been asking the question whether democracy must bring bad media.” 

Lung said that Weisenhaus's visit to Taipei drew not only a large audience of ordinary citizens, but also many local media professionals, adding, “The discussion was concentrated and lively.” 

                               Weisenhaus and UK litigator Mark Stephens (photo left) at MLRC London conference;  Weisenhaus with Taipei journalist Hsu Lu and Thomas Hodges, spokesman for the American Institute in Taiwan (photo, right).