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Libel-Defamation
Dangerous for all media
All media professions
Expensive
Cases protect political speech sp 09
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Libel-Defamation
Plaintiff
Defendant
Burden of Proof
Preventing Libel suits
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Libel
Define
Elements
defamationidentification
publication
harm
fault
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Libel
Terms
Public Official
Public FigurePrivate Person
Actual Malice
Negligence
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Libel
Defenses
Truth
OpinionQualified Privilege
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Libel
Internet
Slapp Suits
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Libel v. Slander
Libel: written
Slander: spoken
But terms merge in broadcasting, on internet.
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Libel
Historically
Libel
more widely disseminatedthan slander
more permanent
more deliberate
more harmful
But also true of broadcast and internet
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Criminal Libel
Historically
Based on breach of the peace theory
The greater the truth the greater the libelSedition laws
Now
No breach of the peace punishment
Truth a compete defense
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Criminal Libel
Ashton v. Kentucky
Unconstitutional to punish criticism of
officials calculated to create adisturbances of the peace.
SCOTUS: Criminal libel law too vaguePlaintiff must prove malice
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Libel: Plaintiff
Living Individuals
Businesses
Organizations
Products
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Libel Defined
A false and unprivileged
statement
offactthat harms
a persons
reputation.
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Libel Definition
Harm to reputation
causes hatred, ridicule or contempt
(Restatement (Second) of Torts)
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Libel defined
Types of libel
False statements that say or imply
immoralitymental illness
contagious disease
criminal activity
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Libel defined
False charge of criminality, e.g.,
Guilty when only a charge was filed
Guiltywhen person is acquitted.Arrested when person is only questioned
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Libel defined
Be precise:
False report: Driver charged with driving an
uninsured automobileFact: Driver without proof of insurance
was summoned to prove car is
insured.
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Libel defined
Loaded criminal words
ambulance chaser
cheats
collusion
deadbeat
embezzler
fraud
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Libel Defined
Business Libel
loaded words
cheat customerscompany is insolvent
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Libel defined
Business libel
false report: tobacco company advertised
illicit pleasure to childrenBrown & Williamson
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Libel defined
Product disparagement
False report: Sound from Bose speakers wanderedabout the room.
Violin appeared to be
10 feet wide, and a piano stretched from
wall to wall.
Financial harm: Publication caused 9-month decline insales growth.
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Libel defined
Veggie Libel
Oprah vowed to eat no more hamburgers,
to avoid mad cow disease;Expert guest proclaimed danger to
American beef.
.
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Libel defined
Veggie libel
Court: Oprah did not violate Texas food
disparagement statute prohibiting falseinformation about safety of perishable food
products.
Why? . . .
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Libel defined
Veggie libel
Court: Texas beef not perishable.
First Amendment issuewhetherstatute is constitutionalwas avoided.
Question: Can disagreeing, expert scientistscreate false facts?
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Libel defined
R & B Villa West Page 1
r&b villa west.djvu
r&b villa west.djvu
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Libel: R & B Villa West text
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Libel Villa West
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R & B Villa West Correction
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Libel defined
Alcohol Abuse
Carol Burnett
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Libel defined
Incompetence
Libelous or opinion?
The easiest five credits at Stanford.The professor travels without a full
set of luggage.
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Libel defined
Libelous? Professor Buttlick
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Libel defined
Direct quotations
Fabricated quotes not defamatory per se.
Fabricated quotes defamatory if fabricationdefames. New Yorker-Masson case
Innocent construction rule.
Journalist cant escape liability with quotes:e.g., The professor was drunk in class.
The quote is defamatory if false.
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Libel defined
Loaded words
Communist
Nazi
HomosexualPlagiarist
Sold out
Obscene
Substandard
Fired
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Elements of libel
Defamation
Publication
IdentificationHarm
Fault
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Libel publication
Any format
Newspaper
Book
BroadcastInternet
PR release
Headline
Cutline
Advertisement
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Libel publication. Advertisement
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Libel Identification
of or concerning
Not always necessary that name be published
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Libel Identification - Cartoon
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Libel Publication - Cartoon Correction
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Libel Identification
Panning camera
Houses in drug story
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Libel Identification
Group Libel
No KFC restaurant identified from among 5,000
No owner of burned building identified
from among 160 owners.
But, identification established when all tenmembers of fraternity are libeled.
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Libel Publication
Publication needed to a third party
Newspaper
Broadcast
Internet posting
Including FacebookLetter of recommendation
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Libel: Whos Responsible?
EVERYONE
Reporter-writer
EditorPublisher
Broadcaster
Sources
But, not Internet service provider, section 230
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Libel Publication
Internet Service Provider
Section 230ISP not liable for defamation as carrier
Kenneth Zeran
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Libel Publication
Internet service provider, sec. 230
But no immunity for ISP under sec. 230 ifprovider induces defamation
on interactive site.
E.g., Roommates.com
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Libel Publication
Foreign Jurisdictions
Libel tourism
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Fault
Strict Liability(No longer)
Malicepublic officials and figuresNegligenceprivate plaintiffs for compensatory
damages
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Fault
New York Times v. Sullivan
End of seditious libelSedition Act 1798
Truth a defense
Juries determine lawLeonard Levy
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Fault
New York Times v. Sullivan
See, Brief
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Fault
New York Times v. Sullivan
Significance
Constitutionalizes libel law
Burden on plaintiff
Malice requirement for public officials
Protection for paid editorial ads
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Public Officials
Public Officials
Sullivan
Police officialRosenblatt v. Baer
Government employees who have,
or appear to the public to have, substantialresponsibility for or control over the conduct
of governmental affairs.
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Public Officials
Mayor?
Governor?
Tax AssessorHigh School Principal?
Football coach?
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Public Figures
Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts
Gertz v. Welchvortex limited. voluntarily inject self into
controversial issue of public importance
all purpose. pervasive power andinfluence
Public Figures
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Public Figures
Involuntary public figure?
Is there such an animal?
Rosenbloom v. MetromediaMaximum extension of public figure
malice requirements to:
The involuntary public figureSupreme Court retrenchment
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Public Figure
Supreme Court retrenchment
Gertz v. WelchTime v. Firestone
Hutchinson v. Proxmire
Wolston v. Readers Digest
Public Figures-Private Persons
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Public Figures-Private Persons
All-purpose public figure
Wield pervasive power or influence;
enjoy wide fame or notoriety.household name
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Public Figures-Private Persons
All-Purpose Public Figures
Wally Butts
National television celebrityNational political writer
Film stars
Not: Mary Alice Firestone.Prominent only in Palm Beach
society
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Public Figures-Private Persons
Limited or Vortex Public Figures
Inject selves into controversial issues
of public importance to affect theoutcome
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Public Figures-Private Persons
Limited or Vortex Public Figures
Not Gertz: No attempt to influencepublic opinion on issues of police
brutalityNot Firestone: No controversial public
issue
Not Hutchinson: No thrust
into public controversy
Not Wolston: Didnt seek subpoena
to testify
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Public Figures-Private Persons
Vortex Public FiguresYes: Waldbaum. Executive entered
controversies on supermarket practices,energy legislation, fuel allocation.
Attracted news coverage-
Yes. Monitor Patriot v. Roy
Losing candidate thrust self into political
issues; private life exposed in campaign
(called a bootlegger)
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Public Figures-Private Persons
Public Figures
Richard Jewell?
Damon Evans?Ted Turner?
Greg McGarity?
Vince Dooley
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Fault
Actual Malice
Knowing falsehood or reckless disregard
for the truth -- Sullivan
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Fault
Reckless Disregard
Garrison: high degree of awareness of their
probably falsity.
St. Amant: entertained serious doubts
about truth. Story was inherently
improbable.
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Fault
Reckless disregard
Combination of factors
Unreliable source. Butts,Connaughton
Failure to interview or check
Butts, Connaughton
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Fault
Reckless disregard
Intentionally avoiding the truth
ConnoughtonAvoiding contradictions
Avoiding warnings
Story improbableBias
Ill will
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Fault
Reckless disregard
Not in AP v. Walker
Usually reliable sourceNo reason to doubt
Journalistic speed sometimes needed
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Fault
Knowing Falsehood
Fabrication. Cantrell v. Forrest City Pub.
Fabricated dialogFabricated excessive poverty
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Fault
Knowing Falsehood
Not knowing falsehood:
Changing quotes in quotation marks,unless the change creates
defamation. Masson
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Fault
Negligence
Failure to do what average professional
[person?] would doMay be single error.
Failure to check. Sullivan
Wrong name from phonebook. Liquori
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Fault
Negligence
Wire service defense
Not negligent to publish wire storyunless story is inherently
improbable
Not negligent if there is no reasonto know story is defamatory
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Fault
NegligenceGeorgia Broadcasters
O.C.G.A. 51-5-10. Liability for defamatory
statements in visual or sound broadcast;
damages
(a) The owner, licensee, or operator of a
visual or sound broadcasting stationis not liable for defamatory broadcasts
. . . [continued]
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Fault
O.C.G.A. 51-5-10 (continued)
By guests or sources
Unless plaintiff can prove stations has
failed to exercise due care to prevent the . .
.broadcast.
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Fault
Do broadcasters need time delay to avoid
Negligence?