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2011-12-08 Home Front: Culture Wars

A Chill on Bloggers; Bloggers Can Be Sued for Defamation According to Judge

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Posted by JohnQC 2011-12-08 10:57|| || Front Page|| [6 views ] Top

#1 it will be overturned. All she had to do was say "IMHO" - or "in my opinion.....". Then it is not defamatory

Posted by Frank G 2011-12-08 12:34|| 2011-12-08 12:34|| Front Page Top

#2 "cannot claim the protections afforded to mainstream reporters and news outlets"

And where exactly in our Constitution does it say news outlets get special privileges above those of ordinary citizens?

(Hint: it's not in the First Amendment.)

Who published it shouldn't matter. It's either defamation, or it isn't.

Posted by Barbara 2011-12-08 13:03|| 2011-12-08 13:03|| Front Page Top

#3 Perhaps it wouldn't be a bad idea to mention the "personal opinions" concept at the top of this blog somewhere so some numnutz like Wronghaven doesn't try to make an example out of anyone here.

Posted by gorb 2011-12-08 13:53|| 2011-12-08 13:53|| Front Page Top

#4 Since there is nothing that says one person is a journalist and the other is not this cannot hold up.

Posted by rjschwarz 2011-12-08 20:42|| 2011-12-08 20:42|| Front Page Top

#5 I don't know... I really don't trust the reporting on this. It doesn't really sound like it's about blogging at all.

It sounds as if Ms. Cox made arguably libelous statements about Mr. Padrick, and then tried to invoke a 'shield law' to protect an 'anonymous source.'

Calling yourself a journalist shouldn't be a free ticket to defame a private person. If Ms. Cox had evidence that her statements were true, couldn't she have pleaded that?

Posted by Free Radical 2011-12-08 22:05|| 2011-12-08 22:05|| Front Page Top

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