[Wamvan] Protect Yourself! - May 14 Libel law workshop for grassroots journalists & media makers

[Mandavni Dhami]

Saturday, May 14: Protect Yourself! Libel law workshop with Leo McGrady 

Do you write about issues that matter to you and your community? Are you a journalism or communications student? Do you blog? Curious about the ins and outs of defamation laws in BC? Or maybe you often find yourself in heated Internet arguments or publicly calling people out and you're wondering about the legal risks you might be taking? 

Join us Saturday, May 14 1-5pm at the Dogwood Centre for a workshop on libel law with Leo McGrady , one of Canada's leading labour and human rights lawyers, a legal practitioner in Vancouver for over 40 years, and author of numerous publications, including the fantastically useful Protesters' Guide to the Law and Civil Disobedience in BC . 

DETAILS! 
1:00 - 5:00 PM - Saturday May 14, 2011 
Centre for Socialist Education (aka Dogwood Centre ) 
706 Clark Drive, Vancouver BC - Map 
Cost: $5 suggested donation, no one turned away 
Snacks, refreshments and bus tickets provided! 
Child care available - please make a note in your registration 
Note: Unfortunately, this venue is not wheelchair accessible 

Seating is plentiful but limited - please register: email Andre at ayguimond <at> gmail.com 

What's libel and how does it affect me? 
Libel is a form of defamation, a communication that hurts someone's reputation, that enters the permanent record - like a newspaper article, TV show, documentary, blog post, email, letter or even a picture. You can be sued for libel if you write something inaccurate that harms another person, or a corporation or other institution, and be forced to pay damages to compensate that person/thing for the damage you caused. So if you publish or broadcast about others, especially people/things in positions of power that don't like being smack talked (or talked about critically, period), it's important to understand exactly what libel is, how to avoid it, and what defences you can resort to if you do happen to get sued. 

Looking forward to seeing you there - and don't forget to register! 
* email Andre at ayguimond <at> gmail.com * 

Facilitated by the Vancouver Media Co-op . Contact: vmc <at> mediacoop.ca