Case Report #1 May 17, 2012
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| Courtney Winters
Media 421 Case Report #1 May 17, 2012 The Atlanta Journal- Constitution v. Jewell Court of Appeals of Georgia, October 10, 2001 Circumstances: In 1996 the Atlanta Journal-Constitution covered the event of the Olympic Park bombing, where Richard Jewell was portrayed as a “heroic” public figure. He received praise for discovering the bomb, alerting the authorities, and evacuating the immediate area. He was considered a public figure and had the reputation as such. Later it was determined by the authorities that Mr. Jewell should be investigated as a suspect in the Olympic Park bombing for his knowledge and action in the situation. After the investigation started the Atlanta Journal-Constitution began to publicize the story that Jewell had gone from a hero to a suspect which allegedly ruined his personal reputation. When the investigation had cleared Jewell filed a law suit seeking restitution for his ruined reputation, as being a public figure that had gone from a hero to a suspect. Jewell moved to have a partial summary judgment to have the trial court find that he should be considered a private rather than a public figure. The trial determined that Jewell was a “voluntary limited-purpose public figure”. Jewell denied this because he claims that he didn’t voluntarily put any effort into promoting himself nor the role that he played in the Olympic Park bombing. Question(s): Should Jewell, as the plaintiff in his defamation action, be considered a public or private figure? Decision: Jewell was found to be a “limited-purpose public figure”, therefore his reputation hadn’t been damaged when they were simply reporting all sides of the story. Precedence supporting the plaintiff:
Precedence supporting the appellant:
Importance of this case: When a private figure takes part in public actions and continuously at their will inserting their views and opinions into the press, they are subject to being conceived as a public figure, and as such they can receive criticisms, critiques and other non-favorable comments. Jewell should have been aware that by placing himself in the public eye he would receive both positive and negative comments and be prepared to deal with such. Quote(s): “ It is no answer to the assertion that one is a public figure to say, truthfully, that one doesn’t choose to be. It is sufficient… that [Jewell] voluntarily engaged in a course that was bound to invite attention and comment.” (Silvester) Directory: 2012 2012 -> The Case Against the nypd’s Quota-Driven ‘Broken Windows’ Policing What Is It? 2012 -> Annual InStructional unit plan 2012 -> University of Hawai‘i Maui College dental assisting program review october 21, 2013 2012 -> Committee on the rights of the child the rights of all children in the context of international migration 2012 -> Background on the Haitian Earthquake 2012 -> The Collected Wisdom of Science Olympiad Coaches 2012 -> Federal Communications Commission fcc 12-81 Before the Federal Communications Commission 2012 -> Aa and na members Dying from Tobacco 2012 -> [Baby Crying] 01: 04 [Ching Download 5.24 Kb. Share with your friends:
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