Difference between revisions of "Libel law"
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=== Who is a public figure or public official? === | === Who is a public figure or public official? === | ||
Revision as of 18:46, 18 May 2007
Who is a public figure or public official?
A public official, according to the Supreme Court, is someone who has a substantial amount of control over governmental affairs. A public figure is either a celebrity whose name has become a household word or a person who has voluntarily stepped into a role of leadership in a particular controversy.
In the case of New York Times Company v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964), the Supreme Court held that in order for a public figure/official to prove libel, they must prove malicious intent. Malice is the idea that whoever published the libelous statement did so knowingly and intentionally or was reckless in fact-checking before publication.
But for private citizens - that is everyone who is not a public figure/official - they need only prove a reporter's negligence to prove libel.
