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Public figure is a legal term applied in the context of defamation actions (libel and slander) as well as invasion of privacy. A public figure (such as a politician, celebrity, or business leader) cannot base a lawsuit on incorrect harmful statements unless there is proof that the writer or publisher acted with malice (knowledge or reckless disregard for the truth). The burden of proof is higher in the case of a public figure. Image File history File links Question_book-3. ... For other uses, see Law (disambiguation). ... Slander and Libel redirect here. ... In English and American law, and systems based on them, libel and slander are two forms of defamation (or defamation of character), which is the tort or delict of making a false statement of fact that injures someones reputation. ... In English and American law, and systems based on them, libel and slander are two forms of defamation (or defamation of character), which is the tort or delict of making a false statement of fact that injures someones reputation. ... Invasion of privacy is a legal term essentially defined as a violation of the right to be left alone. ... The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      A politician is an individual who is a formally recognized and active member of a government, or a person who influences the way a society is governed through an understanding of political power and group dynamics. ... For other uses, see Celebrity (disambiguation). ... The term Malice has several meanings: Malice (legal term), a legal term describing the intent to harm Malice (movie), a 1993 movie starring Nicole Kidman, Alec Baldwin and Bill Pullman Malice (noun), a way to describe the feeling of hatred or disrespect. ... In the common law, burden of proof is the obligation to prove allegations which are presented in a legal action. ...

U.S. law

The controlling precedent in the United States was set in 1964 by the United States Supreme Court in New York Times Co. v. Sullivan. It is considered a key decision in supporting the First Amendment and freedom of the press. This article is about the legal term. ... Also Nintendo emulator: 1964 (emulator). ... The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C. The Supreme Court Building, Washington, D.C., (large image) The Supreme Court of the United States, located in Washington, D.C., is the highest court (see supreme court) in the United States; that is, it has ultimate judicial authority within the United States... Holding The First Amendment, as applied through the Fourteenth, protected a newspaper from being sued for libel in state court for making false defamatory statements about the official conduct of a public official, because the statements were not made with knowing or reckless disregard for the truth. ... The first ten Amendments to the U.S. Constitution make up the Bill of Rights. ... Freedom of the Press (or Press Freedom) is the guarantee by a government of free public press for its citizens and their associations, extended to members of news gathering organizations, and their published reporting. ...

A fairly high threshold of public activity is necessary to elevate a person to public figure status. Typically, they must either be:

• a public figure, either a public official or any other person pervasively involved in public affairs, or
• a limited purpose public figure, meaning those who have "thrust themselves to the forefront of particular public controversies in order to influence the resolution of the issues involved." A "particularized determination" is required to decide whether a person is a limited purpose public figure, which can be variously interpreted.

A person can become an "involuntary public figure" as the result of unwanted publicity. A person accused of a high profile crime may be unable to pursue actions for defamation even after their innocence is established on this basis. A person can also become a "limited public figure" by engaging in actions which generate publicity within a narrow area of interest. For example, jokes about Terry Rakolta, an activist who spearheaded a boycott of the show Married With Children, are fair comments within the confines of her public conduct and are protected because she was a "limited public figure." Wikibooks has more about this subject: Marketing Look up publicity in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Terry Rakolta (born September 18, 1943) is an American homemaker and activist who led an ultimately unsuccessful boycott against the FOX-TV sitcom Married. ... Married. ... Fair comment is a legal term for a common law defense in defamation cases (libel or slander). ...

References

• Legal definition of public figure via lectlaw
• Dotinga, Randy (November 9, 2005). Are You a 'Public Figure'? Wired

See also

• New York Times Co. v. Sullivan
• Hustler Magazine v. Falwell