Court Opinion

ID: 9549219
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-07 18:14:56.375515+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T15:20:00.579709
License: Public Domain

COMPTON, Justice,
concurring.
Although I agree with the result reached in this case, I cannot subscribe to the reasoning leading to the conclusion that Dr. Green is a “public official.”1 Indeed, I conclude that the “actual malice” standard is applicable as a function of state law because the publication concerned a matter of public interest: whether Dr. Green is a “public official” as that term is understood within the relevant federal authorities is simply not relevant.
In Pearson v. Fairbanks Publishing Co., we expressly ignored the limitations imposed by New York Times with the following language:
On the one hand there is the interest in safeguarding the right to one’s reputation. On the other hand there is the interest in allowing freedom of debate and expression on public questions and issues. We believe that a fair balance of these competing interests is achieved where the law of defamation permits one, without liability for damages, to comment, criticize and pass judgment on statements made by another on an issue or matter of public interest, even if such comment, criticism and judgment involves misstatements of fact — so long as such misstatements are relevant to the subject matter spoken or written about by the one claiming to be defamed and are not shown by him to have been made with actual malice. (Emphasis added.)
413 P.2d 711, 713 (Alaska 1966). In view of this holding, we found it unnecessary to speculate whether the United States Supreme Court would extend “actual malice” protection where defamatory falsehoods involved other than official conduct of public officials.
Eventually, the United States Supreme Court did extend New York Times standard to events of public or general concern. Rosenbloom v. Metromedia, Inc., 403 U.S. 29, 91 S.Ct. 1811, 29 L.Ed.2d 296 (1971) (plurality opinion). We relied upon the Rosen-bloom plurality opinion in deciding West v. Northern Publishing Co., 487 P.2d 1304 (Alaska 1971). Curiously, West made no reference to Pearson, resting instead on Ro-senbloom by application of the supremacy clause.
The plurality opinion in Rosenbloom, which set forth a view which never commanded the support of a majority of the Court, was ultimately rejected in Gertz v. Welch, 418 U.S. 323, 94 S.Ct. 2997, 41 L.Ed.2d 789 (1974). The New York Times exception was clearly reserved for public officials and public figures, as a matter of federal constitutional law. However, the Court was explicit in reserving to the states “... substantial latitude in their efforts to enforce a legal remedy for defamatory falsehood injurious to the reputation of a private individual.” 418 U.S. at 345-46, 94 S.Ct. at 3010, 41 L.Ed.2d at 809.
While the Supreme Court has come full circle, Pearson stands on its own, needing support from neither New York Times nor Rosenbloom. It is the law in this state, and whether Dr. Green is a public official involved in official conduct, or a public figure, is entirely irrelevant. The publication at issue in this case plainly concerned “an issue *745or matter of public interest,”2 and as a consequence a showing of actual malice is required by state law, independent of any related federal constitutional considerations.

. I find the attempt to categorize Dr. Green a “public official” a very convincing argument that he is not. Since resolution of that issue is unnecessary to decide this case, I will not belabor the point. It speaks for itself.

. Pearson v. Fairbanks Publishing Co., 413 P.2d at 713.