ABSTRACT

The most basic tenets of newsgathering come under fire and sometimes appear to be  “up for grabs” in defamation cases, especially when key elements of reporting-as  in who said what to whom-come under critical scrutiny. In addition, frequently it  is the most prominent members of society-public officials and public figures-who  sue media defendants for libel. Complicating things is the new technology that has  expanded the context-the platform, the scope, and the prospects for such charges.