Opinion ID: 1418556
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: status of press today

Text: The Times rule, even when amplified and extended to the public person ( Curtis Publishing Co. v. Butts, 388 U.S. 130, 18 L.Ed.2d 1094, 87 S.Ct. 1975 (1967)) and public issue ( Rosenbloom v. Metromedia, Inc., 403 U.S. 29, 29 L.Ed.2d 296, 91 S.Ct. 1811 (1971)), diminished but did not eliminate self-censorship by the press or by the broadcaster. Anderson, Libel and Press Self-Censorship, 53 Tex. L. Rev. 422 (1975). What Gertz actually does is to increase this risk and expense of litigation concerning publications, oral or written, and to increase the possibility of substantial judgments for damages. Under these circumstances, it would be idle to claim the risk of self-censorship has not been substantially increased by Gertz. Insofar, therefore, as the risk of self-censorship has been increased to that extent has the policy of promoting a vigorous and robust discussion of public issues been impaired. The impairment, through threat of libel suits, has long been recognized. See W. Swindler, Problems of Law in Journalism 99 (1955). See also 13 Encyclopedia Brit. 297 (15th ed. 1974); Stevens, Defamation of Political Figures; Another Look at the Times-Sullivan Rule, 27 Fed. Com. B.J. 99 (1974). As stated by Stevens at page 102: Furthermore, if free expression is restrained by the threat of libel and slander litigation, the restraint largely may be on the mass media. From the media's point of view, the time and expense of court action are worrisome. Carey McWilliams, editor of The Nation, observed that even though the restrictions of libel laws have been somewhat relaxed because of Times-Sullivan, they still cause some publications and broadcasting stations to avoid important topics ...