W. Horace Carter Distinguished Professor

Ph.D., University of Minnesota
M.A., University of Minnesota
B.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Cathy Packer teaches media law and Internet law to undergraduate and graduate students and is the faculty director of the UNC Center for Media Law and Policy.  A former newspaper reporter, she is a co-editor of the "North Carolina Media Law Handbook," to which she contributes the chapter on access to state and local government records. She also contributes a chapter on confidential sources and information to the annually updated textbook, "Communication and the Law."

She is the author of the book "Freedom of Expression in the American Military: A Communication Modeling Analysis" and has published articles in "Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly," "Mass Comm Review," "Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal," "Communication Law and Policy" and "Hastings Communications and Entertainment Law Journal." Packer’s two major research interests are reporter’s privilege law and the use of law to define the power relationships among groups in society.

Packer has worked on free press projects in Albania, Jordan and Russia. She also works closely with international graduate students in the school.

Office phone: 919.962.4077
Office location: Carroll 358
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