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A comment on A Twitter thread sparked a lawsuit against Nieman Lab’s founder. Parent comment

Re:A Twitter thread sparked a lawsuit against Nieman Lab’s f... by spoonjim on Wednesday July 21, 2021 @12:29PM (#27908371)
So if I genuinely think you murdered a baby I can publish articles saying you did, with no legal consequence?
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Re:A Twitter thread sparked a lawsuit against Nieman Lab’s f... by xadhominemx on Wednesday July 21, 2021 @12:38PM (#27908496)
Yes, that is the definition of defamation in the United States
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Re:A Twitter thread sparked a lawsuit against Nieman Lab’s f... by colinmhayes on Wednesday July 21, 2021 @12:32PM (#27908421)
yes, if you can prove that you genuinely believe it.
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Re:A Twitter thread sparked a lawsuit against Nieman Lab’s f... by spoonjim on Wednesday July 21, 2021 @12:38PM (#27908504)
In the US that standard is only applied to public figures. For a private figure, the speaker can commit defamation if they do not exert reasonable care to ensure that the statement is true.
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Re:A Twitter thread sparked a lawsuit against Nieman Lab’s f... by xadhominemx on Wednesday July 21, 2021 @01:03PM (#27908933)
No, the burden is not “exert reasonable care that the statement is true”

It’s much more relaxed: “cannot have acted negligently in failing to ascertain whether the statement is true”

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