What happens when public figures sue news organizations?
Public figures like Donald Trump and Kash Patel have filed high-profile defamation lawsuits against media outlets, seeking massive damages, though such cases rarely succeed in court. Legal experts suggest these lawsuits are often symbolic, intended to challenge negative reporting rather than win substantial payouts. In both the U.S. and Canada, legal protections and anti-SLAPP laws help safeguard media organizations from suits aimed at suppressing free speech.
- ▪Donald Trump filed a $10-billion defamation suit against The Wall Street Journal, which was dismissed by a federal judge.
- ▪Kash Patel, now FBI director, filed a $250-million defamation lawsuit against The Atlantic in April 2024.
- ▪In Canada, the largest defamation award was $950,000 plus legal costs, granted to an Ottawa research doctor in 2000 after CBC misrepresented his views.
- ▪U.S. public figures must prove 'actual malice' to win defamation cases, meaning the media knowingly published false information or acted with reckless disregard for the truth.
- ▪Anti-SLAPP laws in Ontario allow courts to quickly dismiss defamation lawsuits intended to silence public criticism or media reporting.
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ShareSave for laterPlease log in to bookmark this story.Log InCreate Free AccountA week after Donald Trump’s US$10-billion defamation suit against The Wall Street Journal was dismissed by a federal judge, his former aide Kash Patel, now director of the FBI, launched one of his own, on April 20, against The Atlantic magazine. Mr. Patel is seeking damages of US$250-million.If you’re thinking those sums are absurd, you’re absolutely right. But in high-profile cases such as these, involving public figures who are suing for huge amounts of money, the plaintiff’s chance of winning, and the media organization’s ability to pay, are beside the point.“The numbers are clearly inflated,” said Howard Winkler, a Canadian lawyer specializing in defamation and media law, in an e-mail to The Globe and…
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