It seems Deadspin is about to go guns blazing at ESPN re: sex rumors

Is this journalism or blackmail? (BONUS: sister site paid money to Richard Heene buddy for interview.)

 

Yes. It's the only one that can afford interns.

 

I really hope, for Deadspin's sake, that every rumor they throw out there proves to be true. Because if not, as I just taught kids in a media law class ... what do you get when you add publication, identification, defamation with a little "actual malice" tossed in for fun? You get a big old potential libel lawsuit.

 

Nothing's been posted for an hour, which could mean something. i generally like deadspin, but the whole idea, whether or not they intentioned to go through with anything besides the kuselias/bell story, is pretty shitty.

edit: three seconds after i write that, a new post is up.

 

Exactly Jimmy. Normally, the malice is difficult to prove, but Deadspin is making it very easy.

 

Is this new? Just went to the site ... at least their attributing e-mails, although these could be fabricated.

http://deadspin.com/5386946/espn-horndog-dossier-katie-lacey

 

Not only that, they certainly seem to question whether they believe what they are writing is true.

 

The thing about the female marketing Veep was fascinating.
It just screams lawsuit and a big one.

 

This is truly dispicable.

 

Well, I guess they're not just going after the on-air talent. Or just the men. I hope "Michelle Jones" isn't her actual name.

http://deadspin.com/5386946/espn-horndog-dossier-katie-lacey

And Nick Denton is loving this.

Edit: Sorry, just saw Gator had posted the link.

 

KYY, I hope you are right. I like to think you are right. But it wouldn't be the first time a big corporation with lots of lawyers messed up.

I love Deadspin, but that first post by AJ would, on the surface, seem to establish that they may be posting with reckless disregard of the truth. If so, that's bad.

Also, there would seem to be some potential privacy issues here as well. If the information is coming from a private companies private personnel files, that COULD fall under "publication of embarrassing private facts." In that case, it doesn't matter whether it's true or not.

Like I said, I hope Deadspin's in the clear on this. But they seem to be swimming in some pretty dangerous water.

 

The troubling thing to me is it seems like they are just posting any rumor they can find without even caring if it is true or not. All it takes is one person with an axe to grind and a knack for telling an interesting tale and suddenly an innocent ESPN employee gets his or her name run through the mud.