Question

Joan is intent on getting the City of Westview to build more bike lanes. She has written many letters to the local paper, been a guest on local radio talk shows, appeared numerous times before the city council, and even paid for a billboard urging her cause. One day a local radio station talk show host says that two years ago Joan ran her car into a bicyclist who was riding in a bike lane. Joan says the story is false and sues the station (and the show host) for libel. What level of fault will Joan have to prove, and why?

Answer 1

Answer:

actual malice, because Joan is a limited-purpose public figure as she voluntarily thrust herself into a public controversy

Explanation:

In law, actual malice is simply a requirement that is imposed on a particular person who claims her image is being tarnished by someone when filing a lawsuit for slander or libel. This will be found in a case where the defendant actually publishes a false statement (libel) or communicates it (slander), knowing fully well that the information is false and disregard for what such information can cause. Joan is actually a limited-purpose figure and decided to go public by making efforts to get her voice out there in a quest to build more bike lanes.