A reporter receives information from several highly credible sources that a famous actress is pregnant and that the father of the baby is not her husband. The story is later proved untrue. The actress sues for defamation. Is she likely to be successful?
A) Yes, because the printed story would be likely to damage the reputation of the actress.
B) Yes, because the printed story turned out to be untrue.
C) Yes, because pregnancy is a private matter even for public figures.
D) No, because the allegations would be unlikely to damage a person's reputation.
E) No, because the reporter did not act with actual malice.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The key factor in defamation cases, especially involving public figures, is the requirement for the plaintiff to prove that the defendant acted with actual malice, meaning they knew the information was false or acted with reckless disregard for the truth. In this scenario, the reporter received information from highly credible sources, indicating no actual malice in publishing the story.

A Reporter Receives Information from Several Highly Credible Sources That