Mike Dodd to co-author new edition of McNae

The Press Association’s legal advisor and editor of Media Lawyer has been approved by Oxford University Press as the NCTJ’s new co-author of McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists.  Mike Dodd will work on the 21^st edition with Mark Hanna, who worked on the previous edition and chairs the NCTJ’s media law examinations board.

Mike has an extensive career in media law including 43 years as a working journalist. Following his training with the Surrey Herald series, he spent time working in Fleet Street and in South Africa before joining the Press Association, where he has worked for more than 30 years.

Mike qualified as a barrister and was called to the Bar at Middle Temple in July 2004, following a law degree at Thames Valley University and an MA in child and family law and policy from Brunel University. All his legal qualifications were obtained while simultaneously working full-time for the Press Association.

Mike now edits Media Lawyer, a specialist magazine, and acts as in-house media law specialist for the Press Association.

He also helped establish the PA’s Injunctions Alert Service, which allows people applying to the Family Division of the High Court requesting injunctions which will restrict the media’s ability to report news and current affairs, to notify the media of their intention in advance of the application, as is required by the Human Rights Act.

Mike takes part in training courses, teaching media law to reporters, production journalists, newsdesk staff and picture editors, and has written numerous articles for magazines and academic journals.

Mike commented: “McNae’s Essential Law for Journalists was the textbook I studied when working for my NCTJ Proficiency Certificate all those years ago. It was much smaller and the law was simpler then – I prepared for the media law exam by virtually learning it by heart. These days that would be beyond any normal individual because of the huge growth in the amount of law affecting – restricting – the media. Working on the new edition alongside the excellent Mark Hanna will be a privilege, and I know that we shall both do our utmost to match the exemplary standards set by our predecessors.”