According to common law principles, which of the following persons or groups DOES NOT have a legitimate libel case?
A) an all-purpose public figure who can prove negligence but not actual malice
B) a person who was not mentioned in a news story praising recent war heroes
C) a public official who is embarrassed by a critical opinion column (based on correct information) on the newspaper editorial page
D) all of the above have legitimate libel cases
E) none of the above have legitimate libel cases

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Under common law principles, a legitimate libel case requires the plaintiff to prove that the published information is false and defamatory. A) An all-purpose public figure must prove actual malice, not just negligence, to win a libel case. B) A person not mentioned in a story does not have grounds for libel since they were not defamed. C) A public official embarrassed by a critical but factually correct opinion does not have a libel case because opinions are protected speech, and the information is accurate.

According to Common Law Principles, Which of the Following Persons