Manipulative Reality TV and the Law

This volume explores the problems and consequences of the range of legalities surrounding audience and consumer participation in the reality tv process. Much of the research is drawn from the Australian experience but comparisons are drawn with other jurisdictions, particularly the UK and North America. The book examines the nature of the free-thinking legal subject who rationally makes choices about their actions, and the concept of choice. It explores human rights related matters, including the consequences that flow from surveillance. The work considers the ability of existing areas of law to deal with their choices and actions, and the gaps in the law. It also discusses the choices of consumers, their rights, and their ability to freely access and comment on the nature of the programs concerned. The authors consider questions about the consequences for the wider polity that arise from reality television. This title provides a valuable guide to the cultural and legal issues arising from reality TV. It will be an essential resource for researchers, students, and practitioners in Law, Media, and Cultural Studies.

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Dr Marett Leiboff is at the University of Wollongong, Faculty of Law, Australia He specialises in media law, legal theory and law and the arts. She has published widely on areas which address the relationship between cultural forms and the law. She is the author, with Nic Suzer, of `Legal Theories: In Principle', Thomson Law Book Co, Sydney, which was nominated for the Mahoney Prize in 2005.