Libel and Privacy, Second Edition

One of the nation's leading First Amendment attorneys provides media counsel with up-to-date information on how to avoid litigation, the "public person," settlement and pretrial tactics, winning trial tactics and cost minimization techniques; with ample case analysis, including the landmark case Moldea v. New York Times Co. By Bruce W. Sanford.

Libel and Privacy by Bruce W. Sanford explains how the U.S. Supreme Court is now approaching constitutional libel law and setting the boundaries for invasion of privacy suits. Comprehensive coverage of all key topics includes:

• Establishing effective techniques to avoid litigation by following the four-step review process
• In-depth treatment of "public person"
• Valuable settlement and pretrial tactics
• Winning trial tactics and cost minimization techniques
• Analysis of recent cases and new developments including those in the emerging cyber-like area
• Discussion of the landmark case Moldea v. New York Times Co. -- which the author argued and won
• An illustration of the legal and factual criteria governing the measurement of damages in libel actions
• And more

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Preface

About the Author

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1 Evolution of a Twenty-First Century Tort

• 1.1-The 1980s: The Developmental Decade
• 1.2-April 1980
• 1.3-April 1984
• 1.4-April 1985
• 1.5-April 1987
• 1.6-July 1989
• 1.7-July 1990
• 1.8-July 1993
• 1.9-July 1998
• 1.10-July 2002
• 1.11-July 2003
• 1.12-July 2005
• 1.13-July 2010
• 1.14-July 2011
• 1.15-July 2012
• 1.16-July 2013

Chapter 2 Defamation from the Dark Ages to the Information Age: A Global Overview

• 2.1-Origins and History of Anglo-American Libel Law
• 2.2-Modern British Press Law
• 2.3-Evolutionary Trends in International Libel Law

Part I PREVENTING LIBEL-

Chapter 3 Pre-Publication Review

• 3.1-Introduction
• 3.2-Defining the Task
• 3.3-Proper Roles of Lawyer, Editor, Author
• 3.4-Discovery: Its Impact on Pre-Publication Review
• 3.5-Methods
• 3.6-Slander and Libel During Newsgathering
• 3.7-Questions to Ask in Pre-Publication Review: The Four-Step Process

Chapter 4 Injury to Reputation

• 4.1-Introduction
• 4.2-A Working Definition
• 4.3-Name-Calling: Unflattering Is Not Libelous
• 4.4-Targets: Persons Capable of Being Libeled
• 4.5-Libel Per Se, Libel Per Quod
• 4.6-Roles of Judge and Jury
• 4.7-Innocent Construction Rule
• 4.8-Single Instance Rule
• 4.9-Context and Television's “Impressions”
• 4.10-Plain Meaning of Words
• 4.11-True Facts, Defamatory Implications
• 4.12-Specific Examples of Defamation
• 4.13-Red Flag Words
• 4.14-Criminal Libel

Chapter 5 Opinion v. Fact

• 5.1-The Twin Opinion Defenses
• 5.2-Fair Comment: The Common Law Privilege
• 5.3-Verifiability and the First Amendment
• 5.4-Reconciling the Twin Defenses Since 1974
• 5.5-Distinguishing Fact from Opinion

Chapter 6 Truth

• 6.1-Introduction
• 6.2-The Requirement of Falsity
• 6.3-Burden of Proving Falsity
• 6.4-Assessing the Likelihood of Establishing Truth
• 6.5-Neutral Reportage: Publishing the Defamatory Quotation
• 6.6-False Implications

Chapter 7
Who Is the Plaintiff? The Public v. Private Person Determination

• 7.1-Introduction
• 7.2-Public Officials
• 7.3-Public Figures
• 7.4-Gertz In Perspective: Applying the “Public Figure” Tests
• 7.5-The Libel-Proof Doctrine
• 7.6-Passage of Time and Public Person Status
• 7.7-Defamation of Business Entities

Chapter 8 Evaluating the Standard of Care

• 8.1-Introduction
• 8.2-Supreme Court Development
• 8.3-The World According to Gertz: The States Respond
• 8.4-The Standard of Care: Recurring Scenarios

Chapter 9 The Damage Assessment

• 9.1-Introduction
• 9.2-Constitutional Overlay on Damage Requirements
• 9.3-Common Law Categories of Damages
• 9.4-State Statutory Rules
• 9.5-Evaluating Damages Exposure: Relevant Factors
• 9.6-Specific Exclusions and Inclusions in Damages

Chapter 10 State Law Privileges

• 10.1-Introduction
• 10.2-The Fair Report Privilege
• 10.3-Losing the Fair Report Privilege
• 10.4-Absolute Privilege
• 10.5-Qualified Privilege
• 10.6-Abuse of Qualified Privilege

Chapter 11 Privacy

• 11.1-The Twentieth-Century Tort
• 11.2-Intrusion
• 11.3-Publication of Private Facts
• 11.4-False Light and Fictionalization
• 11.5-Commercial Appropriation and the Right of Publicity

Part II LITIGATING THE LIBEL OR PRIVACY CASE-

Chapter 12 Handling the Pre-Litigation Complaint

• 12.1-The Demand for Retraction
• 12.2-Formulating Internal Procedures
• 12.3-Retraction Statutes: The Constant Criterion
• 12.4-Broadcast Stations: Special Considerations
• 12.5-General Procedures

Chapter 13 Litigation Prior to Trial

• 13.1-Introduction
• 13.2-The Pleadings Stage in Libel Litigation
• 13.3-Motions Practice
• 13.4-Investigation and Discovery Proceedings

Chapter 14 The Libel Trial: An Essay

• 14.1-Introduction
• 14.2-Motions in Limine
• 14.3-Rulings of Law in Advance of Trial
• 14.4-Voir Dire
• 14.5-Opening Statement
• 14.6-Cross-Examination
• 14.7-Direct Examination
• 14.8-Closing Argument
• 14.9-Jury Instructions
• 14.10-Special Interrogatories
• 14.11-The Second Arena: “Winning the Battle, Losing the War”
• 14.12-Counterclaims
• 14.13-Bose Corp. v. Consumers Union: A Word About Appeals

APPENDICES

• Appendix A Libel Privilege Statutes
• Appendix B Libel Retraction Statutes
• Appendix B-1 Uniform Correction or Clarification of Defamation Act
• Appendix C Statutes of Limitations

Table of Cases

Index