The Definition of Libel - What Makes Something Libelous

Definition: Libel is published defamation of character, as opposed to spoken defamation, which is slander. Libel can expose a person to hatred, shame, disgrace, contempt or ridicule; injure a person’s reputation or cause the person to be shunned or avoided, or injure the person in his or her occupation. Libel is by definition false. If a news story is damaging to a persons reputation but is accurate in what it reports, it cannot be libelous.   Also Known As: Defamation Examples: Mayor Jones threatened to sue reporter Jane Smith for libel after she wrote a story detailing his incompetence and corruption. In-depth:  Everyone knows the saying with great power comes great responsibility. Thats what libel law is all about. As journalists in the United States, we have the enormous power that comes with the First Amendments guarantee of press freedom. But that power must be exercised responsibly. Just because journalists have the power to potentially destroy peoples reputations, that doesnt mean they should do so, at least not without engaging in thorough, responsible reporting. Surprisingly, while press freedom has been enshrined in the First Amendment since the countrys founding, libel law as we know it today was established relatively recently. In the early 1960s, a civil rights group placed an ad in The New York Times charging that the arrest of Martin Luther King on perjury charges in Alabama was part of a campaign to crush the civil rights movement. L. B. Sullivan, a city commissioner in Montgomery, Alabama, sued the paper for libel and was awarded $500,000 in a state court. But the Times appealed the verdict to the U.S. Supreme Court, which overturned the state court decision. The Supreme Court said that public officials like Sullivan must prove actual malice in order to win a libel lawsuit. In other words, such officials would have to show that the journalists involved in producing a supposedly libelous story knew that it was false but published it anyway, or that they published it with a reckless disregard for whether the story was accurate. Previously, libel litigants only had to demonstrate that the article in question was, in fact, libelous and that it had been published. Requiring public officials to prove that journalists had knowingly published something libelous made it much more difficult to win such cases. Since the Times vs. Sullivan ruling, the law has been effectively expanded to cover not just public officials, i.e. people working in government, but also public figures, including anyone from rock stars to the CEOs of major corporations. In short, Times vs. Sullivan made it more difficult to win libel lawsuits and effectively expanded the power of the press to investigate and write critically about those who hold positions of power and influence. Of course, that doesnt mean reporters cant still be sued for libel. What it does mean that reporters must do meticulous reporting when they write stories that include negative information about individuals or institutions. So for instance, if you write a story claiming that the mayor of your town is illegally skimming money from the town treasury, you must have the facts to back that up. Remember, libel is by definition a falsehood, so if something is true and demonstrably true, its not libelous. Reporters should also understand the three common defenses against a libel lawsuit: Truth - Since libel is by definition false, if a journalist reports something that is true it cannot be libelous, even if it damages a person’s reputation. The truth is the reporter’s best defense against a libel suit. The key is in doing solid reporting so that you can prove something is true. Privilege - Accurate reports about official proceedings – anything from a murder trial to a city council meeting or a congressional hearing – cannot be libelous. This may seem like an odd defense, but imagine covering a murder trial without it. Conceivably, the reporter covering that trial could be sued for libel every time someone in the courtroom accused the defendant of murder. Fair Comment Criticism - This defense covers expressions of opinion, everything from movie reviews to columns on the op-ed page. The fair comment and criticism defense allow reporters to express opinions no matter how scathing or critical. Examples might include a rock critic ripping into the latest Beyonce CD, or a political columnist writing that she believes President Obama is doing a horrible job.

Air Pollution During The City Of Toronto And Its Health...

Royal Military College of Canada ECE 444 Discussion paper 2: Toronto Air pollution policy By NCdt Chen, Michael SN: 26095 Paper submitted to Professor Stephen Snudden 19/11/2014 This discussion paper will identify the relationship between air pollution in the city of Toronto and its health impact on the local population. Then this paper will identify the cause of the air pollution in Toronto and the current policies established to counter this problem. Finally the paper will propose a policy that can work in conjunction with some of the current initiatives and will provide explanation of this policy and its advantages over other alternatives. Starting in the year 2004, the air pollution has reached an alarming level in the city o Toronto. Dr Barbara Yaffe, the acting medical officer of health of Toronto Public health, has released a report in July 2004 saying that the â€Å"air pollution [in the city] has contributed to over 1700 premature deaths and 6000 hospitalization admission in Toronto each year† (Yaffe, 2004, p.i). According to this report, pollutants such as ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and carbon monoxide have increased within the air of the city; these pollutants are tiny particles that are 2.5 micron in diameter or less and can affect people’s respiratory system and cause cardiovascular and respiratory problems such as â€Å"asthma, bronchitis in children, adult chronic bronchitis, and heart problem† (TPH, 2007, figure 1). Although itShow MoreRelatedWhy Recycling Is A Huge Impact On Environment1756 Words   |  8 Pages Why Is Recycling Important? 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Argument Against PETAs Policies free essay sample

This is an argument against supporting PETA and animal rights activists. This paper is an argument against PETAs policies regarding the protection of animals at all cost. The author argues that PETA and animal rights activists policies have led to inequality in the world, and that the poorer nations are suffering as a result of these policies. The author also argues, that there is an order to the world, and that animals and humans each play a specific role in this world order. From the paper: However it?s not acceptable at all for undeveloped or poor countries not having any of those advanced technologies. For instance, because of a lack of crops and vegetables, which results from not having advanced agricultural technology, people in poor and undeveloped countries need to get animals and eat their meat to survive. Besides, far from use and need, animals are like enemies to some tribal people. We will write a custom essay sample on Argument Against PETAs Policies or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page They have to fight with enemies, and they sometimes have to kill enemies in some cases. The policy of ?animal rights? is valid only for developed countries, and it indicates that such animal rights organizations like PETA mostly consist of people from advanced countries with great consideration for animals and no consideration for the needy elsewhere in the world.