- cross-posted to:
- nyt_gift_articles@sopuli.xyz
- cross-posted to:
- nyt_gift_articles@sopuli.xyz
The NYT was roundly mocked for the original headline and has now changed it to
No One at Waffle House Remembers FEMA Official Who Says He Teleported In
The NYT was roundly mocked for the original headline and has now changed it to
No One at Waffle House Remembers FEMA Official Who Says He Teleported In
@limelight79 2/ We don’t really know what he believed at the time he said this. No technology exists to prove it either way, and short of very unlikely evidence such as a dated and notarized letter affirming intentional mistruth, or a credible witness to such admission, you can’t really PROVE he lied.
A person who sincerely believes a falsehood is not lying; they’re just wrong. To accuse them of lying is to impugn their character, and for public figures that can be defamation.
/3
@limelight79 3/ Again, it doesn’t matter what you or I say, because we’re not prominent enough for ANYTHING we say to constitute defamation. Nobodies like us recklessly say shit all the time, and no one cares. We can’t impugn the man’s character.
But a media organ or other public figure can, and so they can’t accuse people of lying unless they can prove it – which is very difficult. Such reckless talk can get them hauled into court and made to pay stiff penalties.
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