Here is the news: beware of risk

Media law: a practical guide to managing publication risks By Simon Galland and Jennifer Epworth Sweet & Maxwell, 85 Amber Melville-BrownThis book is designed to encourage those in the media to 'look proactively at the risks they face and to develop a more systematic and holistic approach to the management of those risks'.

Its practical approach comes from interviews with those involved in the industry, solicitors both in-house and in private practice, editors, journalists, representatives of the bodies who regulate the industries, media insurers and underwriting specialists.Almost the first third of the book sets out the areas of law and other regulation which affect publishers, to highlight where the problems lie.

A criticism might be that this takes up unnecessary space, and the information could be found in greater depth elsewhere.

But then again, according to the authors it is designed as a 'one-stop shop'.

These chapters address the legal pitfalls including defamation, court reporting, copyright and moral rights, trademarks, breach of confidence, obscenity and data protection.

Topics not routinely found in media books but of interest and use nonetheless, include the Internet Watch Foundation, the regulatory framework governing telephone services, and codes governing digital games.The practical parts - which deal with newsgathering and editing - include advice as to the use of signed statements, the journalist's notebook and dealing with sources.

Although this may seem to be teaching your grandma to suck on a particularly large egg, the topics bear careful consideration.

There is even a section on 'Do you need an in-house lawyer?' Interestingly, research has indicated that 'every media organisation would probably choose to have a lawyer on the spot (or at least on the end of a telephone) to give instant advice', and yet more reassuringly, that 'even the largest media organisations with their own in-house lawyers will seek external advice on certain matters'.

A CD rom accompanies the book, including the various codes and regulations referred to, the Defamation Acts 1952 and 1996, the Contempt of Court Act 1981 and the Human Rights Act 1998; this alone is an extremely useful resource.

That the book is the product of two years' research is clear, and it is likely to prove a useful tool for those involved in the day-to-day life of publishing.

Much like a brand of household varnish which is the subject of frank and basic television advertisements - this book does what is says on the front cover.

Amber Melville-Brown is head of defamation at London firm Finers Stephens Innocent.