This section in the AP style book was very detailed. It gave tons of information about cases and decisions (of some states) concerning libel, first amendment rights, privileges etc. They clearly made their point.
I found Chapter 7, which was about defamation of the dead, absurd. I would think that once a person died, it was over for him or her, for his or her problems to continue seemed petty (depending of course on the individual state's decisions).
Libel/slander. Defamation. Injury. Ruined reputation. All of these can be paralled to Hotspur's life in Shakespeare's 1 Henry IV.
Hotspur was short-tempered. He engendered valour and honor. Honor for him was all about reputation. He died defending his reputation (honor) because he felt that King Henry IV had caused dishonor to him and his family. In his last battle with Prince Hal, Hotspur believed that one of them had to go. This was similar with libel claims, it was the plaintiff who needed to prove to the legal system of being defamed...(lost my train of thought)
Posted by Michael Diezmos at October 21, 2005 12:45 AM