Comment by xwatersy
1 year ago
The book excerpt is very interesting because it focuses on private individuals defamed by groups. It argues that bringing up true statements about these private individuals that occurred a long time ago is also defamation.
We see the opposite in public discourse. Mobbing private individuals is perfectly fine, criticizing organizations or their leaders (public figures) is punished harshly.
Organizations destroying the reputation of private individuals is also perfectly fine. Everyone believes the leaders and corrections or hints that the leaders are doubtful characters themselves are suppressed.
Who are you seeing being punished for criticising organisations? In general it’s extremely difficult for an organisation to sue an individual for defamation.
I had the same question. The closest I'm aware of isn't organizations, but protected classes who can sue individuals for hate speech e.g. inciting violence against them.
Even that is usually, in most jurisdictions, far more difficult than an individual sueing for defamation. Incitement to violence is a very high bar; in practice people (arseholes) are free to lie about protected classes pretty much as much as they like. And they do.