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"A heroic narrative."—One of The New Yorker’s Best Books of 2023
"A detailed examination of . . . the landmark 1964 Supreme Court decision that defined libel laws and increased protections for journalists."—The New York Times Book Review
A deeply researched legal drama that documents this landmark First Amendment ruling—one that is more critical and controversial than ever.
Actual Malice tells the full story of New York Times v. Sullivan, the dramatic case that grew out of segregationists' attempts to quash reporting on the civil rights movement. In its landmark 1964 decision, the Supreme Court held that a public official must prove "actual malice" or reckless disregard of the truth to win a libel lawsuit, providing critical protections for free speech and freedom of the press.
Drawing on previously unexplored sources, including the archives of the New York Times Company and civil rights leaders, Samantha Barbas tracks the saga behind one of the most important First Amendment rulings in history. She situates the case within the turbulent 1960s and the history of the press, alongside striking portraits of the lawyers, officials, judges, activists, editors, and journalists who brought and defended the case. As the Sullivan doctrine faces growing controversy, Actual Malice reminds us of the stakes of the case that shaped American reporting and public discourse as we know it.
"A detailed examination of . . . the landmark 1964 Supreme Court decision that defined libel laws and increased protections for journalists."—The New York Times Book Review
A deeply researched legal drama that documents this landmark First Amendment ruling—one that is more critical and controversial than ever.
Actual Malice tells the full story of New York Times v. Sullivan, the dramatic case that grew out of segregationists' attempts to quash reporting on the civil rights movement. In its landmark 1964 decision, the Supreme Court held that a public official must prove "actual malice" or reckless disregard of the truth to win a libel lawsuit, providing critical protections for free speech and freedom of the press.
Drawing on previously unexplored sources, including the archives of the New York Times Company and civil rights leaders, Samantha Barbas tracks the saga behind one of the most important First Amendment rulings in history. She situates the case within the turbulent 1960s and the history of the press, alongside striking portraits of the lawyers, officials, judges, activists, editors, and journalists who brought and defended the case. As the Sullivan doctrine faces growing controversy, Actual Malice reminds us of the stakes of the case that shaped American reporting and public discourse as we know it.
Price: $26.95
Pages: 290
Publisher: University of California Press
Imprint: University of California Press
Publication Date:
06 August 2024
Trim Size: 9.00 X 6.00 in
ISBN: 9780520409620
Format: Paperback
BISACs:
"A law professor puts forth a detailed examination of New York Times v. Sullivan, the landmark 1964 Supreme Court decision that defined libel laws and increased protections for journalists, in the context of the civil rights movement."
Samantha Barbas is Professor of Law at the University at Buffalo School of Law. She is the author of six books on mass media law and history, including The Rise and Fall of Morris Ernst, Free Speech Renegade and Newsworthy: The Supreme Court Battle over Privacy and Press Freedom.
Introduction
1. All the News That's Fit to Print
2. Libel and the Press
3. The Paper Curtain
4. Heed Their Rising Voices
5. Montgomery v. The New York Times
6. Birmingham v. The New York Times
7. Doing Business in Alabama
8. "This New Weapon of Intimidation"
9. A Civil Rights Crisis
10. The Iron Curtain
11. Make No Law
12. Herbert Wechsler
13. Before the Court
14. Arguments
15. Actual Malice
16. Free, Robust, and Wide Open
Acknowledgments
Notes
Archival Collections
Index
1. All the News That's Fit to Print
2. Libel and the Press
3. The Paper Curtain
4. Heed Their Rising Voices
5. Montgomery v. The New York Times
6. Birmingham v. The New York Times
7. Doing Business in Alabama
8. "This New Weapon of Intimidation"
9. A Civil Rights Crisis
10. The Iron Curtain
11. Make No Law
12. Herbert Wechsler
13. Before the Court
14. Arguments
15. Actual Malice
16. Free, Robust, and Wide Open
Acknowledgments
Notes
Archival Collections
Index