STUDY GUIDE FOR LIBEL CH. 4-6: Due Sept. 24

Study Guide for Libel: Chapters 4-6
Due September 24, 2007 at 6 p.m.
Please type; please cite your source (p. #s); if you use direct quote, put in quote marks; otherwise, I’ll assume it’s your own words; please make sure that’s true!


Write the correct terminology for the definitions below.

1. Someone who has thrust him or herself to the forefront of particular public controversies.
2. Can a statement be proven true or false? What is the common or ordinary meaning of the words? What is the journalistic context of the remark? What is the social context of the remark?
3. A plaintiff who needs to prove only negligence to win a libel suit.
4. The publication or broadcast of a statement that injures someone’s reputation.
5. A case that’s very difficult to win, especially if it involves many people.
6. A person elected to a government position and some government employees.
7. Abolished the crime of seditious libel and established the standard of “actual malice.”
8. Protect speech in legislative, judicial forums and in administrative and executive branches of government.
9. Protects reporters in the accurate and disinterested reporting of serious charges made in situations of privileged communication.
10. Includes a number of defenses, including one for rhetorical hyperbole and one for fair comment and criticism.
11. Both an apology and an attempt to set the record straight.
12. Criticism of the government.
13. Hears complaints against the media and issues decisions, but has no legal power.
14. Someone who has general notoriety within the area in which a libel is circulated.
15. Publication, identification, defamation, falsity and fault.
16. Proof of knowledge of falsity or proof of reckless disregard for the truth.
17. Failure to exercise reasonable care in preparing and publishing defamatory material.
18. Between actual malice and simple negligence.
19. A common-law defense that protects the publication of statements of opinion.
20. Oral defamation.
21. Grants the right to report what happens at an official governmental proceeding or transmit the substance of an official governmental report and be immune from libel.
22. Any communication that hold a person up to contempt, hatred, ridicule or scorn.
23. Speech protected from libel suits in order to promote “robust debate” in public discourse.