80 Eighth Avenue, Suite 200
New York, New York 10011
212.337.0200 Fax 212.337.9893

Sandra S. Baron, Esq.
Executive Director

Dear Friends:

Starting in 2003 we will be known as the Media Law Resource Center. I am writing to give you a bit more background information on why we are changing our name and what this will mean for the organization and our many cooperative efforts.

As many of you know, the idea of changing our name is not new. The goal has always been to identify ourselves in a way that best reflects the growing scope of issues we research, track and report on, and that you are interesting in hearing about. Media Law Resource Center accomplishes this. The new name reflects our proud past, describes the present and allows for growth in the future.

When this organization was founded in 1980 libel was our membership’s primary concern. Since then, the practical concerns of media and media counsel have broadened substantially to include, among other things, privacy and newsgathering issues, as well as a myriad of new Internet-related law issues. Among the many issues we have regularly been reporting on in our publications include privacy, newsgathering, fair use, and international legal liability.

The new name, "Media Law Resource Center," accurately reflects this broad pallette and will be a new and useful calling card to potential members who might otherwise perceive "Libel Defense Resource Center" as being too narrow in scope to their work.

On a practical note, we have already changed the name of the LibelLetter to the MediaLawLetter. And we are also planning to develop a new web site at www.medialaw.org. Going forward our goals, though, are the same: to support our members in their day-to-day media law operations, emphasizing practical issues and delivering useful information and services.

Sandra Baron
Executive Director, LDRC