It’s far easier to throw around accusations of damage to one’s reputation than it is to actually prove it in court. A journalism scholar explains the criteria that must be met.
Will lawsuits against misinformation hurt freedom of speech?
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It’s gospel for First Amendment advocates that lawsuits against news organizations chill freedom of the press. But in an era of rampant misinformation, such legal actions may be more accepted.
Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young leaves the Federal Court in May, 2019.
AAP Image/Joel Carrett
In 1886, a Victorian judge deplored the disregard given to women’s rights in cases of sexual slander. Today, women are still fighting to protect their reputations and tell their stories.
The Mueller report reveals that Trump and his campaign did all kinds of ethically questionable activities to smear Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election, including asking Russia to hack Clinton’s email. According to Attorney General William Barr, nothing Trump did was illegal.
Reuters/David Becker
Amid all the Mueller report uncertainty, one thing is clear: Donald Trump did some wildly improper things to win the presidency. So did Thomas Jefferson, Andrew Jackson, JFK and George W. Bush.
What does it mean for free speech if a comedian is successfully sued by her ex-husband over the material in her act?
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, seen here at the provincial legislature in January, is among politicians who have threatened to sue political foes.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
The trend of politicians suing other politicians is worrisome since it risks limiting free speech. But there’s a solution at hand known as anti-SLAPP legislation.
Associate Dean (Academic) and Professor of Political Science, College of Social & Applied Human Sciences, Department of Political Science, University of Guelph