Legal Responsibilities of Publishers.

This article discusses the need for publishers to employ fact-checking to ensure the accuracy of stories, affirm journalistic ethics and avoid libel lawsuits. In the case of stories about public figures, actual malice is the standard for liability. In the case of private individuals, proof of actual...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Creative Nonfiction no. 29; pp. 50 - 53
Format: Article
Published: Creative Nonfiction Foundation 2006
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Online Access:View this record in EBSCOhost
Description
Summary:This article discusses the need for publishers to employ fact-checking to ensure the accuracy of stories, affirm journalistic ethics and avoid libel lawsuits. In the case of stories about public figures, actual malice is the standard for liability. In the case of private individuals, proof of actual malice leads to higher damages. In some instances, publishers must ask for the identity of sources and interview the sources. Publishers must also retract a false statement to reduce damages.