Will George Zimmerman regret Hannity interview?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/wp/2012/12/10/will-george-zimmerman-regret-hannity-interview/ ^

[MNDude]

Last July, George Zimmerman sat down with Sean Hannity of Fox News for a multi-topic and much-viewed interview. The discussion went into minute detail on Zimmerman’s deadly encounter with Trayvon Martin, from the moment he spotted Martin to the initial violence to his reflections on the whole thing: “I feel it was all God’s plan,” Zimmerman told Hannity.

As it gears up to defend itself, NBC Universal is all but certain to mount a familiar argument. Zimmerman, it will likely contend, is a “public figure” for the purposes of the lawsuit. Under defamation law, those whom the court terms “public figures” bear a heightened burden of proof when bringing a libel case against a news outlet. They must prove that the outlet acted knowingly to spread falsehoods or with reckless disregard of the truth — a standard known to lawyers as “actual malice.” Regular folks — non-public figures, that is — have much less burden to prevail in a libel action; they need prove only that the news outlet acted with negligence or carelessness. The spirit behind the bifurcated standard in libel cases is to “free criticism of public officials from the restraints imposed by the common law of defamation.”

As evidence that Zimmerman has thrust himself into controversy, Tobin cites his television appearance — the Hannity thing, that is — plus the Web site that promotes his viewpoints, not to mention his legal team’s use of the media during the controversy. “There’s a very strong case to be made that he’s a public figure,” says Tobin.

[TigersEye]

The fact of the matter is that George Zimmerman was a private citizen before NBC created a media circus .

Not only was NBC responsible for making him a pubic figure if they had reported the story honestly and without intentional bias that would not have been enough to make him a public figure. It was only because of their lies and distortions that he became well known.

I suggest that an additional lawsuit be filed against NBC for having their lawyer cynically attempt to libel and slander him again by using their own malfeasance against him. Ask for another $10 million dollars on top of whatever they're asking in the first suit.

[wolficatZ]

Sue ABC too! Sue 'em all!

[peeps36]

Didn't he go on Hannity to try to clear up the lies NBC spread about him? I don't remember the timing but I thought he went on after they attacked his character and reputation.

[EDINVA]

He wasn’t a public figure when NBC published fraudulently edited excerpts of his 911 call. THEY (Sharpton and the MSM) made him a ‘public figure.’

[Uncle Chip]

One could argue that he became a public figure as a result of their illegal actions.

Exactly -- what the public knew of him was what ABCNNBCBS figured they wanted them to know.

[Kenny Bunk]

With Hair-do Hannity and Zimmerman on the air together, there were nearly 100 total IQ points on display.

Note to Zimmerman: speak after your case is thrown out, or you are acquitted. Stop the "victim" nonsense. Try this, "Sorry, the kid screwed up, just my bad luck to have to be the guy who stopped him."