MLRC News and Press Releases
Specific press inquiries should be made to Sandra Baron, Executive Director, at (212) 337-0200 or via e-mail to sbaron@medialaw.org.
2008
MLRC Bulletin 2008 Report on Trials and Damages
The MLRC Report is an ongoing study of libel, privacy and related claims against media defendants, showing the results and trends in this area of First Amendment litigation in trials from 1980 to the present.
2007
MLRC Annual Dinner: Presentation of the William J. Brennan, Jr. Defense of Freedom Award to David Fanning, plus Judy Woodruff, Alex Gibbs, Lowell Bergman, and Heidi Ewing
The Media Law Resource Center (MLRC) presented David Fanning, founder and executive producer of FRONTLINE, with its William J. Brennan, Jr. Defense of Freedom Award at the organization’s annual dinner held on November 7 at the Grand Hyatt in New York.
MLRC Study Shows That Defendants Win 78.3 of Summary Judgment Motions
MLRC's latest study of summary judgment motions in media defamation and privacy litigation, found that media defendants won 78.3 percent of summary judgment motions made in cases between 1980 to 2006, and won partial summary judgment in an additional 6.3 percent of cases. The findings are contained in MLRC’s Bulletin 2007 Issue No. 2 Part B, published this month.
Annual Study of Media Trials Analyzes 14 Trials in 2006: 9 Wins, 5 Losses
There were 14 trials in 2006 with libel, privacy and related claims against media defendants based on the gathering and publication of information to the public, and media defendants won nine of these trials, or 64.3 percent, according to the 2007 Report on Trials and Damages released this week by the Media Law Resource Center (MLRC).
2006
MLRC Bulletin Examines 2006 Media Law Developments, Rebuts "The Four Myths Surrounding The Common Law Reporter's Privilege"
Published this month, MLRC’s Bulletin 2006:3/4 contains a series of articles on the leading issues of the year in reporter’s privilege law, copyright, Internet law, media libel & privacy and related claims, and criminal libel law and practice. In each of these areas, 2006 has been a year of significant developments
MLRC Annual Dinner: Scott Pelley Moderates a Panel on National Security Reporting With Dana Priest, David Remnick, James Risen and Pierre Thomas
Scott Pelley of CBS News moderated a discussion with journalists Dana Priest, James Risen and Pierre Thomas, and journalist/editor David Remnick, on the current climate for reporting on national security and military issues.
MLRC Examines Complaints Filed Against the Media in 2005
MLRC has released its latest Complaint Study, which surveys and analyzes complaints filed against the media in 2005. The Study examines the types of cases filed, where they were filed, who is suing, and who is being sued, and provides a unique snapshot of the claims being brought against the media.
MLRC Annual Study of Media Trials 14 Trials in 2005: 7 Wins, 7 Loses
Media defendants went to trial 14 times on libel, privacy and related claims in 2005, winning seven trials and losing seven, according to the 2005 Report on Trials and Damages released this week by the Media Law Resource Center (MLRC).
2005
Journalists Matt Cooper, Judith Miller and Jim Taricani joined Congressman Mike Pence (R-Ind.) in a panel discussion led by Terry Moran of ABC News on the reporter’s privilege. The panel, sponsored by the Media Law Resource Center (MLRC), was part of the organization’s 25th annual dinner celebration.
MLRC London Conference Explores Developments in International Media Law
On September 19-20, over 190 delegates from around the world convened at Stationers’ Hall in London to discuss developments in libel, privacy, reporters privilege, newsgathering and related areas of media law.
Media Victories in Louisville and Chicago
A former Louisville, Ky. radio talk show host and the Chicago Tribune both won jury verdicts in separate libel cases this week.
Media Won Seven of 12 Trials in 2004, Annual Study of Media Law Trials Shows (2005 Bulletin No. 1)
There were 12 trials against media defendants based on editorial content in 2004, according to the 2005 Report on Trials and Damages by the Media Law Resource Center (MLRC) and media defendants won seven of them (58.3 percent of the 12 verdicts).1 In the five trials won by plaintiffs, the average award was $3.4 million, while the median award was $625,500.
With these 12 cases from 2004, this edition of MLRC’s annual Report on Trials and Damages includes the results of a total of 527 cases that have gone to trial from 1980 through 2004 against media defendants on libel, privacy and related content-based claims. Of 506 cases in which there were verdicts at the end of the trials, 199, or 39.3 percent, were won by media defendants.
Perspectives on the Murphy Verdict
Information for journalists and others interested in the Feb. 18, 2005 verdict in Murphy v. Boston Herald.
The Twenty-First Century Anti-Indecency Crusades: Taking Up Government Swords Against Radio, Television and Subscription Services (2005 Bulletin No. 2)
In sweeping away decades worth of precedent on the limits of government control of so-called indecency in broadcasting, the Federal Communications Commission has created a First Amendment crisis, virtually compelling a judicial show-down with the broadcast and free speech community. So reports the Media Law Resource Center (the "MLRC"), a media law information clearing house, in its MLRC Bulletin, The Twenty-First Century Anti-Indecency Crusades: Taking Up Government Swords Against Radio, Television and Subscription Services.
2004
Ted Turner Honored by Media Law Group and Interviewed by Tom Brokaw (press release)
2004 MLRC Dinner Transcript: Tom Brokaw interviews Brennan Award Recipient Ted Turner (transcript)
The Media Law Resource Center (MLRC) presented Ted Turner, Chairman of Turner Enterprises, Inc., with its William J. Brennan, Jr. Defense of Freedom Award at the organization’s annual dinner Nov. 17at The Copacabana in . Mr. Turner was honored for his founding of the first 24-hour cable news channel, the Cable News Network (CNN), and in so doing, changing the way news is delivered and used in the United States and around the world. Mr. Turner was also interviewed by Tom Brokaw, anchor and managing editor of “NBC Nightly News,” at the annual dinner.
Motions to Dismiss May Be Winning Strategy for Media In Libel and Privacy Lawsuits (2004 Bulletin No. 3A)
A study of 661 cases of libel, privacy and other content-related claims against media defendants from 1983 to 2003 shows that almost three-quarters of these cases – 72.9 percent (482 cases) – ended with a trial or appeals court granting a motion to dismiss. Partial motions to dismiss were granted in an additional 10.6 percent (70 cases). Motions to dismiss are brought at the very beginning of a lawsuit, and can be a powerful tool in short-circuiting otherwise lengthy, costly litigation in these First Amendment-sensitive claims.
LDRC Institute Publishes Media Law Resource Center White Paper on Reporter’s Privilege (2004 Bulletin No. 2)
At a significant moment for the reporter’s privilege, the LDRC Institute is publishing the Media Law Resource Center White Paper on Reporter’s Privilege, a series of articles designed to assess the history of the reporter’s privilege, put it in context with other privileges recognized by the courts in the United States, and report the arguments and empirical rationales in support of a strong privilege. As the MLRC White Paper outlines, while the privilege is under stress, there is great support for it in history, the common law, and the Constitution.
Annual Study of Media Law Trials Shows 14 Trials in 2003, with Media Winning 57 Percent (2004 Report on Trials and Damages; 2004 Bulletin No. 1)
There were 14 cases that went to trial in 2003 against media defendants based on editorial content, according to an annual report by the Media Law Resource Center (MLRC). Media defendants won eight of them (57.1 percent). The 2003 media win rate was lower than 2002 – when the media won five out of six cases that went to trial – but it is still the third highest victory rate recorded by the organization since it began surveying media libel, privacy and related trials in 1980.
2003
Criminalizing Speech About Reputation: The Legacy of Criminal Libel in the U.S. After Sullivan & Garrison (2003 Bulletin No. 1)
Seventeen states and two American territories still have statutes allowing for the prosecution of criminal libel, according to a study released today by the Media Law Resource Center (MLRC).
Trial Records Set in 2002: Highest Media Victory Rate, Lowest Number of Trials (2003 Report on Trials and Damages; 2003 Bulletin No. 2)
Media defendants won four of the five verdicts in trials of libel, privacy and related claims against media defendants in 2002. This is the lowest number of trials, and the highest media victory rate in any year since MLRC began tracking trials in 1980.
Media Law Group To Honor Crusading Publisher; Dinner Will Also Feature Journalists' Panel On War Coverage (2003 Annual Dinner)
The Media Law Resource Center will honor Howard H "Tim" Hays, former publisher of the Riverside, Cal. Press-Enterprise, for his pioneering support of government openness and accountability at the organization's annual dinner. The dinner will also feature a panel of journalists, led by NBC News anchor Brian Williams, on coverage of the war in Iraq and its aftermath.
LDRC Changes Name to Reflect Broadened Mission
Starting in 2003 we will be known as the Media Law Resource Center. The new name, "Media Law Resource Center," accurately reflects this broad pallette and will be a new and useful calling card to potential members who might otherwise perceive "Libel Defense Resource Center" as being too narrow in scope to their work.
2002
Media Defendants' Win Rate Higher... But So Are Damage Awards (2002 Report on Trials and Damages; 2002 Bulletin No. 1)
While there were more trials on libel, privacy and related claims against the media in 2001 than in 2000, the annual numbers of trials so far in the first years of the new century are lower than they were during the 1980s and 1990s, according to the 2002 Report on Trials and Damages, released today by the Libel Defense Resource Center (LDRC) in New York.
LDRC Bulletin Explores Criminal Prosecutions of the Press (2002 Bulletin No. 2)
LDRC has released Bulletin 2002 No. 2 "Criminal Prosecutions of the Press: The Espionage Act, Newsgathering Post-Bartnicki, Criminal Libel, Restricting Juror Interviews," a collection of articles by leading media law practitioners addressing some key areas where the government has the potential to prosecute journalists or penalize them for basic ways in which they operate.
New LDRC Bulletin Examines Complaints Filed Against News Media / LDRC’s Annual Supreme Court Report Looks at Petitions for Certiorari in Libel and Media Privacy Cases (2002 Bulletin No. 3)
LDRC today released Bulletin 2002 No. 3 containing its Complaint Study 2001 – examining complaints filed against the media – and its annual Supreme Court Report on petitions for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court in libel and media privacy cases and other media and First Amendment cases of interest during the October 2001 Term.
Ted Koppel Moderates a Panel of Leading Journalists on Covering War for America (2002 Annual Dinner)
On Wednesday, November 13, 2002, four renowned journalists – Dexter Filkins, The New York Times, Seymour M. Hersh, The New Yorker, Johanna McGeary, TIME, and Bob Simon, CBS News – will participate in a panel discussion on a topic of increasing relevance and urgency: the role of the press and the First Amendment during wartime.
2001
Report Shows Fewer Media Trials in 2000 -- Defendants' Win Rate Grows, But So Do Damage Awards (2001 Report on Trials and Damages; 2001 Bulletin No. 1)
There were fewer trials on libel, privacy and related claims against the media in 2000 than in the past several years, and media defendants won a greater percentage of cases than in previous years, according to the 2001 Report on Trials and Damages, released today by the Libel Defense Resource Center (LDRC), an information clearinghouse which monitors trends in media libel, privacy and related law. But the average and median damage awards against the media in 2000 were among the highest in the 21-year history of the Report.
LDRC Report: The Expanding Reach of Misappropriation and Right of Publicity Claims Threatens Free Expression (2001 Bulletin No. 2)
The Libel Defense Resource Center (LDRC), an information clearinghouse that monitors trends in media libel, privacy and related law, today issued a report on the alarming extent of the encroachment of "ownership torts," such as the right of publicity and misappropriation, into the editorial side of speech.
Study Shows High Rate of Summary Judgment in Media Cases; Report Reviews Supreme Court Media Decisions (2001 Bulletin No. 3)
The Libel Defense Resource Center (LDRC), an information clearinghouse which monitors trends in media libel, privacy and related law, today released the 2001 Summary Judgment Study, its sixth study of the results of reported decisions in summary judgment motions in media libel and privacy cases. With it, the LDRC also released the LDRC Supreme Court Report: 2000 Term, its annual review of petitions for certiorari to the Supreme Court of the United States in libel, privacy and other cases of interest to the media.
Walter Isaacson Leads A Conversation With Ben Bradlee, Diane Sawyer, Mike Wallace (2001 Annual Dinner)
On Wednesday, November 7, 2001, four of journalism’s greats, Ben Bradlee, Walter Isaacson, Diane Sawyer, and Mike Wallace, will come together at a time of extraordinary international crisis to discuss the media. The panelists will talk about their years of reporting experience and the dilemmas – age-old and brand-new, legal and ethical, personal and industry-wide – that they must face when putting together news coverage.
LDRC Bulletin Reviews Developments of the Year in Libel, Privacy & Related Law: Articles Examine Press Credentials Controversy in New Media Age (2001 Bulletin No. 4)
The Libel Defense Resource Center (LDRC), an information clearinghouse which monitors trends in media libel, privacy and related law, today released its annual review of the significant developments of the past year in the law of libel, privacy and related law. In addition, the LDRC Bulletin includes three articles on recent press credential controversies.
2000
Libel Defense Resource Center Releases Findings of New Two-Decade Survey on Trials Against Media Defendants: Number of Libel and Privacy Trials Down, Award Size Up (2000 Report on Trials and Damages; 2000 Bulletin No. 1)
The Libel Defense Resource Center, Inc., (LDRC) an information clearinghouse that monitors trends in libel, privacy and related law, today released its annual report on trials and damages against media defendants on these legal issues.
LDRC Releases Comprehensive Review of Elements of Fair Use By Media (2000 Bulletin No. 2)
The Libel Defense Resource Center (LDRC), an information clearinghouse that monitors trends in media libel, privacy and related law, today issued a comprehensive review of the law of "fair use" by the media, a doctrine that provides a complete defense against claims of copyright infringement. The study, which analyzes the concept of fair use nationally and internationally, contains articles written by lawyers who are experienced copyright practitioners.
Libel Defense Resource Center Celebrates 20 Years (2000 Annual Dinner)
In celebration of its 20th anniversary, the Libel Defense Resource Center (LDRC) will examine the topic "20 Years: Law, Lawsuits, Lawyers – Their Legacy for the News" at its annual dinner on November 13, the group announced today.
1999
LDRC Releases Findings of New Study: Defendants Maintain High Success Rate at Trial But Median and Average Award Size Increase, Fewer Media Trials Reported in 1998 (1999 Report on Trials and Damages; 1999 Bulletin No. 1)
The Libel Defense Resource Center (LDRC), an information clearinghouse that monitors trends in media libel, privacy and related law, today released its annual report on trials and damages. According to the report, the number of media trials in 1998 was down from 1997's numbers — there were only 16 trials in 1998, compared to 22 in 1997. In addition, defendants continued their 1997 trial success rate of 50% in 1998. This rate is the highest rate of the decade to date.
Texas Interlocutory Appeal Statute Helps Texas Media Successfully Defend Libel Suits; Supreme Court Report: Court Holds That Media Ride-Alongs Can Violate Fourth Amendment (1999 Bulletin No. 2)
The Libel Defense Resource Center (LDRC), an information clearinghouse that monitors trends in media libel, privacy and related law, today released Bulletin 1999 No. 2 which contains 1) an in-depth report on the Texas interlocutory appeal statute; and 2) LDRC’s annual report on the certiorari petitions filed in the Supreme Court in libel, privacy and other First Amendment cases.
Report Highlights Decade of Important Media Law Developments (1999 Bulletin No. 3)
The Libel Defense Resource Center (LDRC), an information clearinghouse that monitors trends in media libel, privacy and related law, today released its review of the watershed media law issues in the 1990's.
The most controversial and challenging forces of this past decade have been directed at newsgathering practices — investigative reporting, ridealongs, confidential sources — a trend noticeably reflected in this decade-ending LDRC Report, The Media at the Millennium. On the other hand, libel law, threatened at the start of the decade by the Supreme Court’s seeming assault on protection for opinion in Milkovich v. Lorain Journal, rebounded in the 1990's to continue to protect robust, and sometimes ribald, speech.
1998
LDRC Releases Findings of New Study: A Year of Contrasts as Trials, Successes CLimb; Largest Jury Libel Verdict Ever Exceeds $222 Million, But Other Cases Show Declining Damages (1998 Report on Trials and Damages, 1998 Bulletin No. 1)
The Libel Defense Resource Center (LDRC), an information clearinghouse that monitors trends in media libel, privacy and related law, today reported that in 1997 the number of trials - 22 - was at its highest level since 1993, but media defendants' success rate in those trials was at an all-time high of 50%. Damages awarded in 1997 reached their highest level in the history of the LDRC survey, but the high damage figure was the result of the largest-ever libel jury trial award in MMAR Group, Inc. v. Dow Jones & Co.: $220,720,000 — $20,700,000 in compensatory and $200,020,000 in punitive damages. Without MMAR, the damage awards in 1997 were either on a par with or lower than the average or median awards for the 1990s or the 1980s.
LDRC Issues Bulletin on Agricultural Disparagement Laws; Provides Lawyer With Tools to Fight These Laws Around the Country (1998 Bulletin No. 2)
The Libel Defense Resource Center (LDRC), an information clearinghouse that monitors trends in media libel, privacy and related law, today released its study of an alarming new source of liability for the media: the nation's 13 state agricultural disparagement statutes. These laws, and others waiting in the wings, attempt to mute thoughtful voices about issues of vital concern. These so-called "veggie libel" laws, being enacted around the country at the behest of agricultural interests, attempt to silence critical discussion, including discussion by the media and environmentalists, of food products and production methods. Their most notable recent target: Oprah Winfrey, in the well- known lawsuit she won in February.
LDRC Appellate Review Study Shows Plaintiffs' Verdicts in Libel and Privacy Trials Fell on Appeal in 60% of Cases in 1997: No Punitive Award Upheld in 2-Year Period; LDRC Supreme Court Report: Continuing 7-Year Trend, Supreme Court Denies All Petitions for Certiorari in Defamation Cases (1998 Bulletin No. 3)
The Libel Defense Resource Center (LDRC), an information clearinghouse that monitors trends in media libel, privacy and related law, today released its most recent study on appellate results in media libel and privacy cases. In addition, LDRC released its annual Supreme Court Report, reviewing the resolution of this Term's cases and petitions for certiorari to the U.S. Supreme Court in libel, privacy and other First Amendment cases of interest.
Legislation Aimed at "Paparazzi" May Restrict Newsgathering and Influence Publication; New California Law to Go into Effect January 1, 1999 (1998 Bulletin No. 4A)
The Libel Defense Resource Center (LDRC), an information clearinghouse that monitors trends in media libel, privacy and related law, today released part two of its 1998 Significant Developments Bulletin analyzing: 1) the recent federal bills that would create new harassment and trespass actions solely against the media; and 2) a recently enacted California law that creates a new civil cause of action against photographers and others who use visual and sound recording equipment for alleged physical and constructive invasions of privacy.
LDRC Forum on English Libel and Privacy Law: May 11 & 12, 1998 London, England (1998 London Conference)
On May 11 & 12, approximately 100 American and British media lawyers attended the Libel Defense Resource Center's Forum on English Libel and Privacy Law in London, England. The goal of LDRC's Forum on English Libel and Privacy Law was, in broad terms, to explore the practical aspects of English libel and privacy laws, to reflect on whether and how recent and ongoing legislative initiatives in the UK may modify or influence these laws, and to achieve a dialogue between American and English media lawyers on these issues and on the concerns English law raises for American and other foreign media.
1997
In Year Marked by Clustering of Very High and Very Low Awards, Average Damage Award Is Nearly $3 Million, But Half of All Awards Are $125,000 or Less; Size of Awards in 1996 More than Double That of Prior Study, But Still Lower Than Highwater 1990-91 Period (1997 Report on Trials and Damages, 1997 Bulletin No. 1)
The Libel Defense Resource Center (LDRC), an information clearinghouse that monitors trends in media libel, privacy, and related law, today reported that damages awarded in libel and privacy cases against the media during 1996 were significantly higher by most measures than were reported in the 1994-95 survey. Punitive damage awards were at a particularly high dollar level in 1996, boasting the average total award up to $2.8 million, $1.6 million over the 1994-95 period. The number of media cases going to trial, however, remained at a low level, with fewer trials in 1996 than the average per year in the 1980s.
New LDRC Study Shows Highest Incidence of Summary Judgment Grants to Defendants in Media Defamation Cases; 1995-96 Update Finds Rate of Defense Success Continues to Climb (1997 Bulletin No. 3)
The Libel Defense Resource Center (LDRC), the premier source of legal information on trends concerning media defamation cases and related claims, today releases a 67-page report updating its 16-year study of the outcome of summary judgment motions filed in such cases. The report, which adds data from 212 motions decided in 1995 and 1996 to the previous database, finds that media defendants' ultimate success rate on motions for summary judgment climbed to an all-time high of 82.3% in the 1995-96 period.
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