Opinion ID: 2338779
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: The Libel Claim against Gannett Co.: The Cartoon

Text: Although we disagree with much of the Superior Court's decision, we concur with its holding that the cartoon that appeared in The News Journal on June 11, 1996, constitutes a non-actionable opinion. As a general matter, the law looks disfavorably on libel suits premised on editorial cartoons. [37] Editorial cartoons have long played an important role in our nation's political discourse, and courts are fearful of the threat to free speech that could arise from the specter of tort liability. Also, readers would never reasonably interpret a cartoon as an assertion of objective fact. [38] Cartoons are seldom vehicles by which facts are reported; quite the contrary, they are deliberate departures from reality designed forcefully, and sometimes viciously, to express opinion. [39] The cartoon in this case certainly fits into this mold. The News Journal's cartoonist was obviously using humor and hyperbole to place the dispute between Cawley and Ramunno in a satirical light. Moreover, it appeared in the opinion section of The News Journal, effectively dispelling the already slim possibility that the cartoon would be taken as a factual representation. It is therefore abundantly clear that the Superior Court was correct in dismissing this part of Ramunno's complaint.