MCOM 4003 - Jonah Rathburn

Sampling has always been a hot topic in music. Many great artists use samples to enhance their songs or honor other musicians. Rap music is generally the main genre sampling is used in. This play differently than situations like the Queen/Vanilla Ice debacle. For an example look towards many of Kanye West , Jay-z , or Eminem's music . As three of the greatest rap artists of their generation their music is know world wide. A big question is what is considered plagiarizing and what falls under fair use.  This has always been tricky for courts to settle. One example involving Kanye West was the lawsuit he received from the family of a young lady who's viral video was sampled for West's song  Ultralight Beam . The original video shows a little girl praying and West decided it fit the theme of his semi-gospel song featuring Chance the Rapper. In my personal opinion West should have asked permission for the girl's audio clip to be used, he had plenty of money ...

  Journalism is a dangerous job. In certain parts of the world this danger is physical but in the U.S. the danger is often from a standpoint of legality. Luckily in addition to the first amendment  many states protect journalist with shield laws . These laws are put in place to protect both the journalists and their sources confidentiality. While these laws don't apply strictly to people in the field of journalism they do benefit them greatly.       In addition these laws protect witnesses in court cases and rape victim's privacy. The majority of states have some form of shield laws or protection with the exception of Wyoming. Most all states provide at least some sort of qualified privilege . This provides safety from lawsuits usually involving defamation or slander. As long as the person in question meets the states requirements they cannot be sued for truthful statements, or in most cases personal opinion. This is particularly helpful for...