After American magazine mistakenly claimed two alumni, Ross Weil and Brett Royce, were married leaders of the supposed "Gay Rights Brigade," the two former students decided to sue the university for $1.5 million, citing defamation of character.
Indeed, the two alumni have every right to sue AU in response to the magazine's inaccuracy. Defamation of character is a serious offense, one that underscores the importance of fact-checking prior to a story's publication.
But isn't a lawsuit worth $1.5 million a bit of overkill? One of the most pressing questions regarding defamation is whether emotional damage is quantifiable. If someone publishes incorrect information, how does one seek fair compensation?
Perceivably, a victim of faulty journalism determines the extent of defamation through lost opportunities. But if this was the case, why do Weil and Royce insist their lawsuit has nothing to do with homosexuality or homophobia? Defamation implies harm, and a mistaken sexual preference really isn't worth $1.5 million in damages. Whether liberal courts in New York City, where the suit was filed, disagree and award the alumni the large sum they want remains to be seen.
Yet, one thing is for certain: This should be a lesson for all of us. Publications, The Eagle included, have to check every source, regardless of how credible they think it might be. Granted, there are ways to correct an article should an inaccuracy creep its way onto a page, but defamation is a very fine line that no journalist should cross.
Moreover, we as a community should reflect on the social implications of this lawsuit. Prior to the civil rights movement, mislabeling a source as "black" was also libelous and defamatory. Although that level of racial discrimination is but a chapter in U.S. history, it seems that sexual discrimination is more prevalent than it should be. Perhaps if the United States had a more accepting social climate, the two alumni could have written or called American magazine, asked for a correction in the next issue and continued their lives. Isn't that how publications correct most mistakes?
