Best Media & the Law Books of 2025

All You Need to Know About the Music Business, now in its tenth edition, is the definitive guide to the music industry. Written by veteran music lawyer Don Passman, this book offers timely and authoritative information on the most profound change in the music industry yet: streaming. Passman leads novices and experts alike through how to select and hire a winning team of advisors, navigate the ins and outs of record deals, songwriting, publishing, and copyrights, and how the game is played in a streaming world. This updated edition is more essential than ever for anyone trying to navigate the rapid transformation of the industry.

The Associated Press Stylebook: 2022-2024 is an essential guide for writers, editors, and students who want to master the style guidelines of news writing, editing, and common usage. It covers everything from grammar, spelling, and punctuation to capitalization, abbreviation, and numeral usage. The book is fully revised and updated to keep pace with world events, common usage, and AP procedures. With over 300 new and revised entries, including a new chapter on inclusive storytelling, this edition is a must-have reference for anyone seeking to write with clarity and professionalism.

The Associated Press Stylebook is an essential guide for writers and editors looking to master the rules of news writing and editing. As the gold standard for news writing, the book covers everything from grammar and spelling to punctuation and capitalization. With its comprehensive index, the Stylebook makes it easy to navigate specialty chapters. This updated edition keeps pace with world events, common usage, and AP procedures. All writers, editors, and students should have this reference on hand for clarity and professionalism in their writing.

The Murder of Angela Mischelle Lawless by Stephen R. Snodgrass is a compelling true crime book that sheds light on the wrongful conviction of Joshua Kezer for a murder he didn't commit. Snodgrass expertly reveals the manipulation and corruption that led to Kezer's conviction, including snitch witnesses who lied and the withholding of exculpatory evidence. The book also highlights the tireless efforts of an honest sheriff who reopened the case and worked to exonerate Kezer. This timely and compassionate work calls for a more equitable justice system for all.

The second edition of "Film and the Law: The Cinema of Justice" by Peter Robson is a foundational text that explores the intersection of law and film. The book stands out for examining law films as a distinctive genre and offering a new perspective on representations of legal practice and institutions. It challenges traditional legal scholarship and demonstrates the practical and political significance of popular cultural representations of law. This updated and revised edition is an excellent text that is very readable among a diverse audience, making it a valuable resource for students of law and film.

The Price of Principle by Alan Dershowitz is a thought-provoking book that explores the consequences of punishing principle and rewarding partisan hypocrisy in politics, academia, media, and the courts of law. Dershowitz, one of America's most influential legal scholars, shares his personal experiences of being attacked for living by his principles and remaining neutral in the current political war. The book focuses on three sets of principles: freedom of expression and conscience, due process and fundamental fairness, and basic equality and meritocracy. The Price of Principle is a must-read for anyone interested in defending free speech and due process in today's society.

The Case Against the New Censorship: Protecting Free Speech from Big Tech, Progressives, and Universities by Alan Dershowitz is an essential read for anyone interested in or concerned about freedom of speech. In this book, Dershowitz offers his knowledge and insight to help readers understand the war being waged against free speech by the ostensibly well-meaning forces seeking to constrain this basic right. He assesses the role of the Trump presidency in energizing this backlash against basic liberties and puts it into a broader historical context. The Case Against the New Censorship represents an icon in American law and politics exploring the current rapidly changing attitudes toward the value of free speech and assessing potential ways to preserve our civil liberties.

Contracts for the Film & Television Industry, 3rd Edition is a must-have for independent filmmakers who want to save money on legal fees. This book offers 80 sample contracts, covering everything from basic provisions to merchandising and distribution. The third edition includes 18 new contracts, making it an even more comprehensive guide for all aspects of entertainment law. The author provides clear explanations of key legal concepts and terms, making it easy for readers to understand and use the contracts effectively. This book is a valuable resource for anyone in the performing arts industry.

The Law of Journalism and Mass Communication by Susan Dente Ross, Amy Reynolds, and Robert Trager is a comprehensive and engaging introduction to media law for future professional communicators. The authors present the law in a clear and nonthreatening writing style, with contemporary examples and intersections with international law and policy. The updated Seventh Edition contains new content from federal and state courts, Congress, executive agencies, policymakers, and media organizations. This book is the best all-around media law text for undergraduate and graduate students, covering several relevant areas of law in a thoughtful and thorough way.

All You Need to Know About the Music Business: 11th Edition by Donald Passman is a comprehensive guide to the music industry, covering everything from streaming to AI-generated music. Dubbed as the industry bible, this book has been updated to reflect the latest trends and changes in the music business. Passman discusses how the democratization of music has changed the industry and how artists now have more power than ever before. This book is a must-read for anyone looking to make it in the music business, from musicians and songwriters to executives and managers.