Libel Lawsuits Dwindle As Media Moves To The World Wide Web

In a surprising turn of events, the cyberspace world of new media – where defamatory statements about public figures run amok on blogs and in comments sections – is helping reduce libel cases against major publications from a steady flow of complaints to a mere trickle.

According to a new report in the New York Observer, there have been no active libel suits against Time Inc. or the New York Times Company (which owns the Times, The Boston Globe, and a handful of local papers around the country) for almost a year. Comparing that to the 10 to 15 cases the Times Company is accustomed to dealing with on a yearly basis, this absence suggests the beginning of a new era of libel law, and the blogosphere holds responsibility.

For starters, try Googling a random celebrity. There are probably thousands, if not millions of negative comments written about them. The threat of a less-than-flattering newspaper article seems to pale in comparison to the masses of faceless meanies with a bone to pick online.

Papers can immediately publish corrections to nullify a hostile situation with unhappy interviewees. And in return, those interviewees can take to the Web themselves and clear their own name in a public forum. Even the Internet’s negative effect on newspaper and magazine revenue has played a role – with revenue no longer steadily flowing into the print journalism industry because of all the free news online, corporations like Time Inc. aren’t trying to waste time and money in court.

Clearly, the media world is still rife with opportunities to sue, but the Observer predicts this to be the end of traditional libel as we know it. For anyone feeling nostalgic, may we recommend renting Absence of Malice and letting Sally Field act out the drama of the golden age of defamation for you.

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