Feldman

Jerry the Jacket

Jerry the Jacket

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I spoke with my brother last night and he brought up an interesting idea. Could Georgia Tech sue CBS Sports and Bruce Feldman for reporting false information that is detrimental in a material way to the football program. Things like creating uncertainty about the status of Paul Johnson, potential negative impact on the current recruiting class so close to NSD requiring significant rework by the staff to insure current commits remain committed and just by in general an overall negative nuisance that required Georgia Tech to defend itself from a baseless rumor.

What are your thoughts?

Go Jackets!
 
Whiskey_Clear

Whiskey_Clear

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Probably wouldn't be worth the effort....One sticking point is how do you quantify the damages incurred?...can't really IMO
 
CuseJacket

CuseJacket

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Can you force a journalist to reveal his source? I don't know how that works in the legal system.

A lawsuit would wreak of desperation in my opinion. There have been erroneous Tweets about a bunch of coaching moves this offseason. Our situation is only slightly different than the rest, and to Whiskey_Clear's point I don't know how damages could be quantified.
 
Techster

Techster

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Jerry the Jacket said:
I spoke with my brother last night and he brought up an interesting idea. Could Georgia Tech sue CBS Sports and Bruce Feldman for reporting false information that is detrimental in a material way to the football program. Things like creating uncertainty about the status of Paul Johnson, potential negative impact on the current recruiting class so close to NSD requiring significant rework by the staff to insure current commits remain committed and just by in general an overall negative nuisance that required Georgia Tech to defend itself from a baseless rumor.

What are your thoughts?

Go Jackets!
Click to expand...

No.

GT will have to prove that Feldman intentionally made up the rumor to harm GT. Furthermore, Feldman cited his source as it came from, so the onus would be on GT to prove that Feldman really had no "source", and Feldman doesn't have to reveal his source. As Whiskey Clear points out, ultimately GT will have to prove what kind of damages that tweet caused GT, and the burden of proving that is more expensive than it's worth. There are many case laws of similar situations that prove that GT really has a steep hill to climb to get this case anywhere.

FWIW, the guys at footballscoop who were the first to contact CPJ and get a direct quote from him just said that CPJ was extremely heated about Feldman's statement, and he was smart to get out in front of it before it became a bigger issue.
 
LongforDodd

LongforDodd

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Jerry the Jacket said:
I spoke with my brother last night and he brought up an interesting idea. Could Georgia Tech sue CBS Sports and Bruce Feldman for reporting false information that is detrimental in a material way to the football program. Things like creating uncertainty about the status of Paul Johnson, potential negative impact on the current recruiting class so close to NSD requiring significant rework by the staff to insure current commits remain committed and just by in general an overall negative nuisance that required Georgia Tech to defend itself from a baseless rumor.

What are your thoughts?

Go Jackets!
Click to expand...

You would have to prove tangible damages. What could you tell the judge before he decides whether or not to throw the case out? what could you prove?
 
Atomic Jacket

Atomic Jacket

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Freedom of the press needs to be protected, even if it results in unfair harm to the subject of reporting. Legal attacks on journalists would have a chilling effect on the news. Less critical stories would get published for fear of litigation. Corruption would run more rampant. You have to let the press say what it will and be self regulating.
 

Rodney Kent

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If so, we could sue the AJC. They are one of the worst media outlets against Tech and the ACC in favor of UGA and the SEC. They slant all articles to favor UGA and the SEC, and to slur Tech and the ACC. The one thing I cannot understand about any Tech fan is why they would subscribe to the AJC.
 
OldJacketFan

OldJacketFan

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New York Times v Sullivan 376 U.S. 254 (1964) is the seminal case in which it was established the actual malice standard which has to be met before press reports about public officials can be considered to be defamation or libel. In essence it means that the reporter has to know the information he wrote/published was false or acted in reckless disregard for the truth. This requires the defamed to prove the party met this standard and it is extremely difficult to prove by the aggrieved party (ies). In other words the press basically has free rein.
 

Jean-Baptiste Rochambeau

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daBuzz said:
What if there actually was a grain of truth to it? *just saying*
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Look, if you are in the public eye, as CPJ is, you have to have more savvy than to make any disparaging comment about anything, any person, or any school. I don't doubt for a minute that Paul Johnson said it, someone heard it and then boom. From Mitt Romney to Bo Pelini, people open their mouths and spout unfortunate drivel at the most inopportune times when they figure know one is listening or taping. You can't do it anymore. You just can't. But yes, I think he said it and , in the moment, he probably meant it. It can't be wonderful for him right now. He's beat down. He knows he is not going to go out in a blaze of anything. He is going to linger and fester and draw a big check until let him go. There's no more division titles, or Orange Bowls or Coach-of-the-year to look forward to. Just one or possibly two more miserable seasons, then the hammer will fall and he'll be done. Can't be fun for someone with his personality.
 
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