Opinion ID: 2258942
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 8

Heading: Analysis of the Respective Liability Issues

Text: Should the jury conclude that Dr. Kanaga is a victim of libel, i.e., that the News Journal article of July 5, 1992 implied the existence of unstated, defamatory, false facts, each defendant is potentially liable for damage to Dr. Kanaga's reputation. Ms. Kane, as the original source of the expressions, may be held liable. Ms. Harriman and Gannett, as publishers of the expressions, may be held liable. In the interests of justice and for the guidance of the trial court in the event of trial, [35] it is appropriate that we address generally the relative standards of liability of media defendants and nonmedia defendants. For Dr. Kanaga to recover against Ms. Kane, who is a nonmedia defendant for purposes of this case, it is sufficient that the jury find that the implied statements of fact were both false and defamatory. The law of defamation embodies the public policy that, generally, individuals must be protected so as to enjoy their good reputations unimpaired by defamatory statements. The general rule is that the publisher and republisher of defamatory matter are strictly accountable and liable in damages to the person defamed, and neither good faith nor honest mistake constitutes a defense, serving only to mitigate damages. [36] Media defendants require a different analysis, however. As long as the standard adopted is not strict liability, the states are free to define for themselves the appropriate standard of liability for a publisher or broadcaster of defamatory falsehood injurious to a private individual. [37] We hold, therefore, that Dr. Kanaga cannot recover from Ms. Harriman or Gannett absent at least a showing of negligence. [38] Accordingly, with respect to the liability of the two media defendants, the jury will have to consider some of the factual issues. We cite only a few, without suggesting either that these are the most important or that there may or may not be more: Was the News Journal article of July 5, 1992 a reasonable reporting of Ms. Kane's complaint to the Medical Society or an independent news story about a patient and her doctor? Was it reasonable for Ms. Harriman not to interview Dr. Domingo about the alleged conversation between him and Ms. Kane before reporting that he was incredulous about Dr. Kanaga's recommendation? Was it was reasonable for the News Journal to run the story without waiting for a decision from the Medical Society? Furthermore, Ms. Harriman and the News Journal cannot avail themselves of any privileges in this case. Since Dr. Kanaga is neither a public official nor a public figure, and since the statements published by the News Journal do not constitute the fair and accurate reporting of a judicial proceeding or the governmental acts of executive officials of government, the fair report privilege does not protect these statements against actions for libel. [39] Ms. Harriman and the News Journal may raise the fair comment privilege as a defense, however, by asserting that they were in fact reporting on a matter of public concern, i.e., the rising costs of health care and the general threat to women's health posed by unscrupulous doctors. Whether this defense is a reasonable one, we leave to the jury. We do emphasize, however, that even if the jury does find that the article concerned a matter of public interest, the fair comment privilege protects only statements of opinion, not express or implied misstatements of fact. [40] Moreover, it may be significant to the jury that this article did not appear as an editorial or as an opinion piece, but as a news story, written by a reporter who apparently specializes in health and medicine articles. Since the context of the statements in libel cases is very important, statements reported in a news article are less likely to be perceived as, and therefore protected as, expressions of pure opinion than are statements appearing in an essay, an editorial or a column. [41]