NEWS BRIEF
False Light
Shedding light on false light
By Adrianna C. Rodriguez
Boarding a bus for Tallahassee at 5:15 a.m. was no obstacle for 50 law and journalism graduate and undergraduate students who travelled to the Florida Supreme Court March 6. The students heard arguments in two significant false light cases, Jews for Jesus, Inc. v. Edith Rapp and Joe Anderson, Jr. v. Gannett Co., Inc. Both are cases of first impression on appellate review. The outcome will decide whether Florida will recognize the privacy tort of false light
UF faculty and students on the steps of the Florida Supreme Court.
“The Anderson case is incredibly important for the state’s new media,” said Professor Sandra F. Chance (JD 90), who teaches media law at the College of Journalism and Communications and was one of two UF faculty members on the trip. “This case involved an investigative news story, where both parties agreed that all the facts were true, yet the jury awarded the plaintiff more than $18 million. That’s a direct assault on the First Amendment and journalists and media lawyers everywhere are watching this case.”
The event was coordinated by Ana-Klara Hering and Kristen Rasmussen, both second-year law students in the College of Law. Hering and Rasmussen are part of the joint degree program in media law and policy with the College of Journalism and Communications, where Hering is a doctoral candidate and Rasmussen is pursuing her master’s.
"I would like to think that our presence in the courtroom demonstrated to the judges how signifi cant the false light issue is to future journalists and media lawyers..."
“I would like to think that our presence in the court room demonstrated to the judges how significant the false light issue is to future journalists and media lawyers,” Hering said.
UF law students took up nearly two-thirds of the court room and were acknowledged by Chief Justice R. Fred Lewis before arguments began.
“It was fascinating for students to see the kinds of questions the justices asked,” said Professor Lyrissa Lidsky, professor at the College of Law, the other UF faculty member on the trip. “The Justices clearly had thought about the First Amendment implications of their decision.”
After oral arguments, the students participated in a panel discussion with plaintiffs’ and defendants’ counsel from both cases. Professor Chance participated in the panel and Professor Lidsky moderated.
“We got to hear from fighters right out of the boxing ring,” Hering said of the panel.
The panel discussed the issues surrounding the torts of false light, defamation and how those issues affect the media.
To end the day, students heard from Florida Supreme Court Public Information Officer Craig Waters (JD 86). Waters is instrumental in the court’s online court system, which was recognized as one of the best in the nation.
The trip was sponsored by the College of Journalism and Communications, and the Gainesville Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists.