On its face, it was an article about an Eagle Scout project that grew into a nonprofit advocacy organization. Not exactly the kind of piece newspaper editors think of when considering legally sensitive material.
But the article headlined “Words are power,” which the Jackson Hole News&Guide published in May, landed the paper in hot water when it was hit with a $25 million defamation lawsuit. That’s because, along with chronicling the young man’s project, the article included allegations that his father was physically abusive.
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mlaytner
As one who worked in the trenches of journalism for 20+ years, I'm astounded at this violation of the elementary rules of journalism 101. This was not a hard news story written on deadline (though even if it was is no excuse). This was an enterprise feature. Assuming this article is a true and accurate account, the excuse that the news outlet lacked the resources to properly edit the offending piece isn't an excuse at all. Without knowing everything there is to know, one must ask, did anyone lose their job over this incompetence?
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