General Ohio University Discussion/Alumni Events Topic
Topic: Can Ohio sue the Dispatch?
Page: 1 of 1
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Pataskala
5/20/2017 9:21 AM
Can a state university sue a media outlet? This past week, the Dispatch ran a story with the headline "One of two aboard OU plane loaded with cocaine pleads guilty." (http://www.dispatch.com/news/20170516/one-of-two-aboard-o... ) It hasn't been changed as of today. Although the headline implies that Ohio owns the plane, in fact the plane was flying from the Bahamas to Canada and just happened to make an emergency landing at Ohio's airport. There's no connection whatsoever between the university and the plane. I'm sure that if the plane had landed at O$U's airport, they wouldn't have called it "O$U plane."

This is a textbook false light suit, but I'm not sure a state university can sue. The headline, of course, has been picked up by robo news services on the Internet, so it's likely to be out there forever. I complained to the Dispatch a couple days ago but nothing has happened.
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OhioCatFan
5/22/2017 11:57 AM
The short answer to your question is, "no."
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Ohio69
5/24/2017 10:05 AM
Does the old saying "never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrell" still apply in the internet age?
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cbus cat fan
5/24/2017 2:44 PM
No certainly not the Dispatch, like lots of publications they have lost a lot of circulation, become sensationalist, and lack the solid journalism that many newspapers once possessed. The Wolf family sold it some time ago to one of those new conglomerate companies that have papers all over the place. It would seem they think they can make a quick buck before the circulation falls even further. In the newspaper business, internet advertising has never risen to the levels that were predicted some time ago, so I doubt the Dispatch can muster the level of influence they once carried.
Last Edited: 5/24/2017 2:47:28 PM by cbus cat fan
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