The BBC College of Journalism launched an online course this week for all programme makers at the corporation, as part of an ambitious programme of legal training.
The course, Legal Online, is an interactive programme that aims to train all BBC programme makers and content producers in key areas of media law.
College director Vin Ray said: "We decided that it was time to revamp our legal training inside the BBC. We had done some surveys and they showed that staff had more demand for legal training than any other form of training.
The point is to give people more confidence, a better sense of where their pitfalls might be and when they might need to involve a lawyer."
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The first part of the course covers contempt and defamation and will be followed next year by a second instalment on copyright and contract.
BBC 5 Live's Nicky Campbell presents the course and participants will be taught through a series of "carefully designed scenarios".
The BBC's journalists will be expected to complete the first part of their online course within six months. They can do the course in small sections at their desks — it takes around three hours in total.
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The corporation has used the internet to offer courses to its staff on a number of occasions. Recent online programmes have included training on editorial policy, reporting Europe and the Middle Eastern conflict.
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