|
|
Article: The F.B.I. man who cried libel. (recent libel cases including the Price/Matthiessen conflict)
- Article from:
- The Nation
- Article date:
- November 13, 1989
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1989 The Nation Company L.P. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
The F.B.I. Man Who Cried Libel
In August the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit dismissed F.B.I. agent David Price's $25 million libel suit against Peter Matthiessen and Viking Press, the author and publisher respectively of In the Spirit of Crazy Horse [see Peter Matthiessen, "Travels Through Indian America," February 12, 1983]. The decision was a strong reaffirmation of the right of authors and journalists to criticize government officials. It also comes at a time when the Supreme Court has handed down several decisions that severely impair freedom of the press, specifically by placing restrictions on the landmark libel decision New York ...