This scenario isn't as far-fetched as it may seem. The Internet, with its unprecedented ability to offer users the chance to communicate with others in a public forum, has made it all the easier for people to type before they think. With the hit of a return button, people who have little idea of what a libelous statement is or that they have just sent one can cause serious damage to another's reputation. As the number of online users continues to grow, so does this problem, and so, too, does the risk that those newspapers which offer and manage forums may be held responsible for their user's libelous accusations. Although recent federal legislation offers a certain amount of legal protection for libelous statements, the area is still pock-marked with legal landmines.
Newspapers go online for a myriad of reasons.
The Internet has been touted by computer aficionados, researchers, and politicians as a revolutionary medium that represents the ultimate marketplace of ideas where all users have equal access and equal voice in an uncensored forum. But not all users praise the Internet's cavalier freedom to be heard. Online chatrooms and forums frequently serve as a platform for libel. The Supreme Court defines libel as a false statement which injures one's business or personal reputation and inflicts provable damage. Chatrooms and forums offer participants a place to express their views without much fear of a retaliation beyond getting an inflammatory rebuttal, called a flame.