What are the free speech rights of a Blogger? One is being sued for $25,000,000 for a mis-speak!! Libel IS Libel.
January 30th, 2008 . by Mike KellyA blogger in Florida is being sued by a large developer for stating on his blog that this particular developer had gone “Bankrupt”. This was false and the guy is now being sued for libel. Here are my thoughts on this:
A very simple truth here which every journalistic knows–you always get your facts straight before you publish.
To make a statement which is false is libel. Just because he’s a “humble blogger” is a cop-out. This whole “social networking” thing is going to shakeout and start getting some form and function and one of those will be verification of a statement prior to publication. You make a statement as he did, it goes “viral” and, like any rumor, gets legs and gets noticed! I’m not chilled by this whatsoever. If I make a statement saying someone had gone bankrupt it better be verified and have some context to the point I’m making on the blog. I thought his statement defending his use of the word was very lame. Reminded me of our ex-President with his tortured definition of what “sex” is?
