Why the Defamation Verdict Against Rolling Stone Could Chill Media Apologies

That Rolling Stone lost its defamation fight with University of Virginia dean Nicole Eramo was a surprise to some attorneys and journalists — but precisely how the magazine lost is even more unexpected and potentially important.

At the heart of the lawsuit is the portrayal of Eramo as alleged "villain" in the since-discredited Nov. 19, 2014 story, "A Rape on Campus," about the supposed gang rape of a woman referred to as "Jackie." Eramo sued both the magazine and reporter Sabrina Rubin Erdely for defamation.

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