As America contends with the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade, another important case is being rightfully challenged.
That challenge, reflected in a new petition before the Court, Coral Ridge Ministries Media v. Southern Poverty Law Center, concerns the landmark case of New York Times v. Sullivan, decided in 1964. Back then, the Court held that unless “actual malice” and “calculated falsehoods” could be proven, the media should be shielded from defamation lawsuits. Sullivan declared that public officials must prove that the defendant knowingly published a falsehood or acted with reckless disregard of truth. The doctrine was later extended to public figures, a category that includes celebrities, business leaders, and others.
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