First Amendment- Libel Law

Master First Amendment libel law! Practice identifying defamation elements & understanding public vs. private figure rights.

Please complete this definition of defamation. In order to sue for defamation, the information must be so damaging that it harms a person's reputation; or deprives a person of a right to enjoy social contacts; or harms a person's ability to work or make a living. For a public figure to win a libel suit, it must prove... actual malice revenge reckless disregard of the truth nothing; they automatically win Why do you think it is important that the law has higher protections for private citizens against libel compared to public figures Please match each term to its correct definition All-Purpose Public Figure someone who occupies a position of great pervasive power and influence Limited Purpose Public Figure someone who has injected themselves into a public controversy or has gained prominence in a particular, limited field Private Figure someone who has not voluntarily placed self into public spotlight and has less access to media to combat false accusations Public Official anyone who is elected to government office no matter how small If the plaintiff (the person suing) is a public person, they must prove that the information was published with.... negligence actual malice intent to injure the purpose of creating a lawsuit If the plaintiff (the person suing) is a private person, they must prove that the information was published with.... negligence actual malice intent to injure the purpose of creating a lawsuit COMPLETE THIS WITH THE CLASS ACTIVITY:Please list and number all the steps you took to "Avoid the Libel" below that led you to victory! (ex: Step 1: *insert choice here*) INSTRUCTIONSYou, an editor of the school newspaper, are going to get tot he bottom of the potential libel in a story that was reported in Uncaged. You have multiple decisions to make along your path of either clearing Rachael's name or bringing Abigail's libel to light. Follow the story, make your decisions, and remember how you got there- because whomever can list what they did, in an order that solves this case, first: wins.CHARACTERSRachael - head cheerleader who cheated on the testAbigail - reporterMax - the star mathlete, Rachael's ex-boyfriendUncaged - the school newspaperAcademic Honesty Committee (AHC) - a reliable sourceJosh- school gossip, unreliable source