Slander involving local news

[Chelzi]

Jurisdiction

California

Hello, my name is Chelzi and I just have a question.
Is it possible to sue the local news for lying in a news paper article about me Wich eventually led too no local stores hiring me because if u look my name up on Google the first thing that pop's up is the article about my boyfriend and I

 

[justblue]

Hello, my name is Chelzi and I just have a question.
Is it possible to sue the local news for lying in a news paper article about me Wich eventually led too no local stores hiring me because if u look my name up on Google the first thing that pop's up is the article about my boyfriend and I

Based on the very little details you provided your question really can't be answered. But if
I were to guess....I would say no.

 

[PayrollHRGuy]

What did the article say?

 

[Tax Counsel]

Hello, my name is Chelzi and I just have a question.
Is it possible to sue the local news for lying in a news paper article about me Wich eventually led too no local stores hiring me because if u look my name up on Google the first thing that pop's up is the article about my boyfriend and I

You could sue. The question is whether you'd win. What exactly was it that the newspaper said about you that is untrue?

 

[mightymoose]

Something to consider, the local news reports information obtained from another source. Are you prepared to prove the source was wrong and the news knowingly published false information?
Are you even arguing the information is untrue, or are you just upset that the information turns up in a search and is causing a hardship?

 

[Tax Counsel]

Are you even arguing the information is untrue, or are you just upset that the information turns up in a search and is causing a hardship?

The OP said:

Is it possible to sue the local news for lying in a news paper article about me

(Underlining added.) I think it's pretty clear the OP is arguing its untrue, unless the OP truly doesn't know the definition of the word lie.

 

[mightymoose]

I suspect the"lie" is that there is a disagreement as to the facts reported by police in some unflattering incident, which isn't a lie.
Who knows...not enough info given.

 

[zddoodah]

Is it possible to sue

Yes. Anyone can sue anyone for anything.

If you want an assessment of the likelihood of winning, you'll have to provide some relevant facts.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

Reputable and established television news stations and print media typically report stories which contain second hand information relayed as "allegations" - e.g. "yesterday a local store in Los Angeles alleged that Mr. X was harassing female customers." Whether X actually harassed the customers may not result in legal liability for the newspaper if the news merely reported what was actually alleged. If the store owner made a false claim, a claim for defamation (slander and/or libel) might be made against the store owner. If the statement made is oral, the cause of action is "slander." If the statement is print (as is the case with a newspaper), the cause of action is "libel."

I'm guessing you're not a public figure but the New York Times v. Sullivan is a landmark case involving libel and the print media. Interestingly enough, very recently Justice Clarence Thomas raised his belief that the Supreme Court should reconsider its earlier decision and make the news media more vulnerable to legal liability for defamation instead of applying the "actual malice" standard. It's a higher standard than the norm in order to provide some extra latitude for news media to have the freedom to publish without a chilling effect of the specter of a lawsuit hanging overhead. You may want to take a look at a recent article by the American Bar Association on the New York Times v. Sullivan defamation / libel case and comments.

The First Amendment case, New York Times v. Sullivan, had defined the actual-malice standard to require the plaintiff to prove the defendant knew the alleged defamatory statement was false or that the statement was made with reckless disregard of the truth.

Causes of action does not stop at defamation. Legal liability can also attach under state law as some states provide greater personal protections than others. This is a state and fact specific issue.