"Just being factual" isn't a valid defense. Even if one assumes 100% factiness, that's not all that matters. There are infinitely many facts. Which one chooses, how one expresses them, and what their likely effect is in context, are just three of the other issues at play.

As for the GP comment, I can see why it would feel that way but I didn't read it that way myself. There's obviously a lot of interpretation involved in these things.