Damages for every case come down to whatever the jury wants them to be, former New York Times general counsel George Freeman tells Media Matters. Responding to speculation that a pricey courtroom loss could drive National Review out of business, publisher Jack Fowler assured readers in January that the magazine has libel insurance to cover damages, although he conceded our insurance does not cover all the costs related to the suit. But even if the three outlets avoid a big jury loss, simply paying the legal fees becomes tantamount. The costs can be absolutely staggering, says Robert Drechsel, professor at the University of Wisconsin who specializes in media law. Not surprisingly, the three headline-making suits revolve around hot-button issues for the right-wing media: last years Boston Marathon terror bombing case, which led to the suits against the New York Post and Beck, and the political jousting over climate change, which pits National Review versus Penn State meteorology professor Michael Mann. All three are plausible libels suits, says Drechsel. Thanks Larry mediamatters.org/blog/2014/04/07/libel-will-defamation-suits-doom-three-right-wi/198772
Posted on: Mon, 07 Apr 2014 18:52:01 +0000