Butzel Long is unique among Michigan law firms in the depth and breadth of its media and communications practice. The Media Law Practice Group has extensive experience in the areas of libel, invasion of privacy, newsroom counseling, state and federal freedom of information acts, open meetings disputes and access to courtrooms and other public proceedings and files. This experience encompasses litigation at the trial and appellate levels, and all aspects of newsroom counseling. Butzel Long serves as counsel to The Detroit News, Crain Communications, WXYZ-TV (Channel 7 in Detroit), the Flint Journal, the Michigan Press Association, The Traverse City Record Eagle, The Monroe Evening News, the Ogemaw County Herald, and the Battle Creek Enquirer. In addition, the firm's media clients have included USA Today, CBS, NBC, ABC, Newsweek, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Sports Illustrated, The Readers' Digest Association, Holt Rinehart & Winston, Simon & Schuster, the Lansing State Journal, Advance Magazine Publishers, Westinghouse Broadcasting Company, Inc., WWJ Radio, WJRT-TV (Channel 7 in Flint), Random House, Anteebo Publications Inc., and Business Week.

Philosophy

The policy and practice of the Media Group is to provide to its clients vigorous representation on a cost-effective basis. Specific matters are efficiently staffed by members of the Group commensurate with the extent of experience and expertise required. The Media Group is also sensitive to the special needs of media clients and understands that prompt and effective responses to client inquiries are critical.

About the Media Group

Members of the Media Practice Group are an active force in media law on the state and national levels. Members of the group are also actively involved in the development of First Amendment theory and practice. James Stewart serves on the Executive Committee of the Defense Counsel Section of the Media Law Resource Center (MLRC) and as President of the Defense Counsel Section in 2005. He is a past member of the Governing Board of the American Bar Association Forum on Communications Law. Several have served as members of the Law and Media Committee of the State Bar of Michigan, including a tenure as the Committee's chair. Two group members served on the Michigan Supreme Court Subcommittee on Standard Defamation Jury Instructions.

Several members of the group are also active in educational projects, including lecturing professional journalists, journalism students and media lawyers; serving as instructors at area law schools; and on numerous occasions, conducting Michigan conferences on recent developments in media law. Attorneys in the group have also published widely.

Significant Cases

Federal

In re DaimlerChrysler AG Sec. Litig., 216 F.R.D. 395, 2003 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 15145 (E.D. Mich. 2003) (reporters' privilege).

United States v. Koubriti, 252 F. Supp. 2d 424, 31 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1940 (E.D. Mich. 2003) (closure of voir dire).

Detroit Free Press v. Ashcroft, 303 F.3d 681, 30 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 2313 (6th Cir. 2002) (closure of immigration proceedings).

Johnson v. McGraw-Hill, 1999 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 10148, 44 Fed. R. Serv. 3d 1192 (E.D. Mich. 1999) (libel/privacy).

Erwin v McGraw-Hill, No. 97-CV-72704, 1998 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 7109 (E.D. Mich. 1998) (libel/privacy).

Johnson v. McGraw-Hill, 27 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1153 (E.D. Mich. 1998) (libel/privacy).

Fronning v. Jones, 1996 U.S. App. LEXIS 5725 (6th Cir. 1996) (privacy).

Morris v. Boucher, 15 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1089 (E.D. Mich. 1988), rev'd, 875 F.2d 866 (6th Cir. 1989) (libel/privacy).

Pesta v. CBS Inc., 686 F. Supp. 166; 15 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1798 (E.D. Mich. 1988), on remand from 837 F.2d 1091 (6th Cir. 1988) (libel).

Bennett v. CBS, Inc., 798 F.2d 1413 (6th Cir. 1986) (libel).

United States v. Beckham, 789 F.2d 401, 12 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 2073 (6th Cir. 1986) (court access).

Clark v. ABC, 684 F.2d 1208; 5 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 2049 (6th Cir. 1982), cert. denied, 460 U.S. 1040 (1983) (libel).

Schultz v. Newsweek, Inc, 481 F. Supp. 881, 5 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 2296 (E.D. Mich. 1979), affirmed, 668 F.2d 911 (6th Cir. 1982) (libel).

Michigan United Conservation Clubs v. CBS News, Inc., 665 F.2d 110; 7 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 2331 (6th Cir. 1981) (libel).

State

Fielder v. Greater Media, Inc., No. 267495 (Mich. App. July 25, 2006) (unpublished).

Stratton v. WJRT et al, 2005 Mich. App. LEXIS 23 (2005) (libel/privacy).

Detroit News, Inc. v. Policemen & Firemen Ret. Sys., 252 Mich. App. 59; 651 N.W.2d 127 (2002) (FOIA).

Detroit News v. County of Wayne, Case No. 235831 (Mich. App. March 15, 2002) (unpublished) (FOIA).

Cross v. Detroit News, 29 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 2439 (Mich. App. 2001) (libel).

Erwin v. Detroit News, 29 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1863 (Mich. App. 2001) (libel).

Tomkiewicz v. Detroit News, 246 Mich. App. 662; 635 N.W.2d 36 (2001) (libel).

American Transmission v. Channel 7 of Detroit, 239 Mich. App. 695; 609 N.W.2d 607; 28 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1823 (2000) (libel/other torts).

Downs v. Gannett Co., 27 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 2432 (Circ. Ct. 1999) (privacy).

Kevorkian v. American Medical Association, 237 Mich. App. 1, 602 N.W.2d 233; 28 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1532 (1999) (libel).

Mayfield v. Detroit News, 24 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 2566 (Mich. App. 1996) (libel/privacy

Michigan v. Schmitz,Media L. Rep. (BNA) 2535 (Mich. App. 1996) (court access).

Rahn v. Detroit News, 25 Media L. Rep (BNA) 1094 (Circ. Ct. 1996) (libel/privacy).

Farrell and Detroit News v. City of Detroit, 209 Mich. App. 7; 530 N.W.2d 105 (1995) (FOIA).

Northland Wheels Skating Center, Inc. v. Detroit News et al 213 Mich. App 317; 539 N.W.2d 774 (1995) (libel).

Garvelink v. Detroit News 206 Mich. App. 604; 522 N.W.2d 883 (1994) (libel).

Havens v. McLain 22 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1092 (Mich. App. 1993) (libel).

Sanchez Duran v. Detroit News,200 Mich. App. 622; 504 N.W.2d 715 (1993) (libel/privacy).

Locricchio v. Evening News Ass'n, 438 Mich. 84; 476 N.W.2d 112 (1991); cert. denied, 503 U.S. 907 (1992) (libel).

The Detroit News v. City of Detroit, 185 Mich. App. 296; 460 N.W.2d 312 (1990) (FOIA).

Booth Newspapers, Inc. v. 12th District Court Judge, 172 Mich. App. 688; 432 N.W.2d 400 (1988) (closure of courtroom).

Morganroth v. Whitall, 161 Mich. App. 785; 411 N.W.2d 859 (1987) (libel).

Spreen v. Smith, 153 Mich. App. 1; 394 N.W.2d 123 (1986) (libel).

Curtis v. Evening News Ass'n, 135 Mich. App. 101; 352 N.W.2d 355 (1984) (libel).

Dienes v. Associated Newspapers, Inc., 137 Mich. App. 272; 358 N.W.2d 562 (1984) (libel).

Evening News Ass'n v. City of Troy, 417 Mich. 481; 339 N.W.2d 421 (1983) (FOIA).

Lins v. Evening News Ass'n, 129 Mich. App. 419; 342 N.W.2d 573 (1983) (libel).

Postill v. Booth Newspapers, Inc., 118 Mich. App. 608; 325 N.W.2d 511 (1982) (libel).

Key Publications

Stewart and Michelson, "The Resurrection of Ollman v. Evans? Analyzing Opinion the Old-Fashioned Way," 21 Communications Reporter (Winter 2004)

Huget and Michelson, "Ideas Are Not So Free Anymore: Advice for Misappropriation Claims," Lawyers Weekly (Summer 2003).

Stewart and Michelson, "Reining in the Neutral Reportage Privilege," 17 Communications Reporter (Summer 1999).

Huget and Michelson, "The Famous Face Obstacles to their Rights of Publicity," Unfair Competition/False Advertising Sub-committee of the Intellectual Property Litigation Committee (Summer 2000).

Niehoff and Michelson, "Leaving the Watchdog Outside," Michigan Bar Journal (August 1999).

Huget and Michelson, "The Famous Fight to Control their Rights," Unfair Competition/False Advertising Sub-committee of the Intellectual Property Litigation Committee (Summer 1998).

Stewart and Michelson, "Cyberspace Defamation," 75 Mich. B. J. 510 (1996).

Rassel, Stewart, and Niehoff, "The Michigan Law of Defamation Revisited" (1994 Detroit Coll. L. Rev. 61).

Rassel and Stewart, "Rouch v. Enquirer and News of Battle Creek: The Michigan Supreme Court Redefines and Reinvigorates Public Interest Speech in Michigan" (1994 Detroit Coll. L. Rev. 119).

Rassel and Stewart, "The First Amendment Protection of Opinion," 70 Mich. B. J. 1030 (1991).

Stewart, Niehoff and Michelson, Survey of Privacy Law, in Media Law Resource Center Survey (1991-present); Sixth Circuit Survey of Libel and Privacy Law, in Libel Defense Resource Center Survey (1991-present).

Rassel, Stewart and Niehoff, "Connaughton v. Harte Hanks and the Independent Review of Libel Verdicts," 20 Toledo L. Rev. 681 (1989) (cited by the Michigan Supreme Court in Locricchio v. Evening News Ass'n).

Niehoff, "Survey of Michigan Law - Constitutional Law," 34 Wayne Law Rev. 559 (1988).

Niehoff and Huget, "Survey of Sixth Circuit Law - Constitutional Law," 1988 Detroit Coll. L. Rev. 615.

Rassel and Stewart "Some Considerations on Court Closure in Michigan," 66 Mich. B. J. 653 (1987).

Niehoff, "The Michigan Law of Defamation," 1985 Detroit Coll. L. Rev. 975 (cited by the Michigan Supreme Court in Rouch v. Enquirer & News).