Larry Gennari of Gennari Aronson and Doug Banks from the Boston Business Journal talk with author Samantha Barbas about her new book, Actual Malice.
Actual Malice tells the full story of New York Times v. Sullivan, the dramatic case that grew out of segregationists’ attempts to quash reporting on the civil rights movement. In its landmark 1964 decision, the Supreme Court held that a public official must prove “actual malice” to win a libel lawsuit, providing critical protections for free speech and freedom of the press.
Samantha Barbas tracks the saga behind one of the most important First Amendment rulings in history. As the Sullivan doctrine faces growing controversy, Actual Malice reminds us of the stakes of the case that shaped American reporting and public discourse as we know it.
