Random wrote:We had a radio station here that would do a segment about stories from the WWN. At the end of the story, they would always say "They can't print it if it's not true" or some nonsense.
I do find it hard to believe no one has sued them though. That was the first thing that came to mind when I read this.
Sure, it's the USA, let's just sue the crap out of everyone. I'm going to sue Michael Bay for making Starscream so ugly. (Though, he's kinda grown on me, I'll admit). And for...whatever you want to call what he did to Jazz (I think we can all agree that Jazz getting ripped apart might count as a mercy-killing).
Seriously, what you'd be looking at is a suit for libel. To prove libel, you have to prove that damage of some significant sort has been done--you lost your job, or your income took a whack, or your property got damaged as a result of someone reading and believing this lie. You can't prove damages, you can't really win the suit, so why bring it? You'd be wasting your own money on a lawyer and wouldn't even win (and you'd clog the courts--could you imagine if EVERYONE ever slandered in tabloids sued at once?!)
Megan Fox is not going to get one less dollar or one less job offer because of the WWN story. Hence: not libel.
On the same note: in grocery store the other day I saw a tabloid pitching something about an 'Obama gay scandal'. You think our President ought to sue for that? Or mayhap he has better things to do with his time?
HK, who should sue EVERYONE on ratemyprofessor.com.