FPRA Ocala Chapter hosts internationally-renowned expert on media law and First Amendment at June meeting

OCALA, FL – From Facebook and Twitter to YouTube and more, posting, reposting, Tweeting and re-Tweeting are abundant – but are they legal? And what penalties do you face if you’re caught violating copyright law online?

Professor Sandra F. Chance, J.D., media law professor with the Department of Journalism at University of Florida, reviews the essentials of copyright and its impact on social media as guest speaker at the Florida Public Relations Association Ocala Chapter monthly professional development luncheon on Friday, June 20, from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Ocala Conference Center – Holiday Inn & Suites located at 3600 SW 38th Ave. in Ocala.

In addition to teaching media law at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, Chance is the executive director of the Brechner Center for Freedom of Information. A faculty member since 1993, Chance has taught close to 6,000 students. Chance is the campus coordinator for the Liberty Tree Initiative, a program which promotes First Amendment education on campuses across the country. She is also on the board of directors of the First Amendment Foundation and is active in the National Freedom of Information Coalition. She is the Sunshine Chair for the Society of Professional Journalists and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Communications Law Forum, IRE, and the Florida Association for Women Lawyers.

Chance graduated with honors from the University of Florida’s College of Law in 1990 and was named to the Order of the Coif. Chance received both her B.S in Journalism with high honors and M.A. in Journalism and Communications with Distinction from UF. A member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar, the Florida Bar and admitted to practice before the federal courts in Florida, Chance is a past president of the Gainesville chapter of the Florida Public Relations Association. She has served as a director of the Florida Magazine Association and was active in the Florida Press Association. Guests are welcome to attend the seminar and luncheon and can register by visiting www.fpraocala.org/events.html. The cost is $20 for members who RSVP by noon on Tues., June 17 and $25 for guests.