Fritz Messere Communication Studies 2/25/2019 Public Figures Fritz Messere Communication Studies

2/25/2019 Introduction In libel, public officials and public figures have to prove a higher level of fault than do private individuals. There are a variety of situations that seem to cloud the issue of who is and who is not a public figure

Who is a Public Official? 2/25/2019 Who is a Public Official? 1. Who is the plaintiff and what kind of a job does this person have? A public official applies to those among the hierarchy of government employees who have or appear to have substantial responsibility for or control over the conduct of governmental affairs.

Who are All Purpose Public Figures? 2/25/2019 Who are All Purpose Public Figures? On a national level this tends to mean that a person is totally exposed to constant media attention. Professor Jerome Barron suggests the key might be instant national recognition and constant media exposure

Who is a Limited-Purpose Public Figure? 2/25/2019 Who is a Limited-Purpose Public Figure? The Supreme Court developed three criteria: 1. There must be a public controversy before publication of the libelous material 2. The plaintiff must have participated in voluntarily attempting to resolve the controversy 3. The plaintiff’s participation must be such that she is actively seeking to influence public opinion regarding controversial issues.

2/25/2019 Who is a private person? Private persons are considered to be private individuals who have not done anything to seek out publicity or to become controversial.