Because they carry insurance to protect them against this kind of attack, they can spend an enormous amount of money defending themselves in court. . . . News stories defame thousands of people every day in America, yet relatively few suits are filed. The law provides protection for the media, based on the Constitution s First Amendment guaranteeing freedom of press and speech. To win a libel suit, you must prove more than the fact that you were defamed. The law says they can defame you and get away with it if the story is true.
Truth is an almost perfect defense in a libel suit.
There are no rigid rules. Truth is what a jury will believe. . . . A journalist does not have to initiate the libel. If the media pass on something someone else says about you, the media outlet generally must take responsibility for the truth of that statement. . . . If the damaging information comes from a part of the governmental process, the news media have very limited responsibility for the truth of that information.