通过对媒介法律顾问、记者、编辑、媒体管理者的访谈以及近20来年的媒体名誉权案件的分析,陈晓彦的《媒体与名誉侵权》发现:大部分媒体名誉权官司原告为普通公民,在案件讨论中侧重于损害的名誉的救济而不是言论自由的争论。同时,商业化的媒体更多地注重自身经济利益诉求和成本核算而不是看重普遍的言论自由权利的拓展。从自身经济利益和成本考虑,名誉权官司使得媒体更严谨对待报道和报道者的权益,反倒有利于促进媒体报道的真实和媒体伦理的发展,从一定程度上说,有利于言论而不是钳制言论。并且,从整个名誉权法律的设计和具体司法实践中名誉权案件的处理来看,中国名誉权法律的设计本身没有对言论的钳制和惩罚设置,而具体司法实践对名誉权官司的处理中,主要目的也是用来保护名誉权和为名誉损害提供救济,无论是原告还是法院都较少利用名誉权官司本身来惩罚言论。
FOREWORD
PREFACE 1
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 5
The Nature of the Law of Defamation and Its Development
The Law of Defamation in China 9
Research Questions 12
Source Materials and Method 13
Organization 18
CHAPTER 2 THE EVOLUTION OF DEFAMATION LAW IN CHINA 22
Defamation law in imperial China 22
Free speech in traditional China 26
The approach to balance sedition punishment and free speech 29
Defamation law in late Qing and the republican China 33
Legal rejuvenation of protection of reputation 33
Constitutional protection of freedom of expression 38
Public opinion supervision and the law of defamation 42
Conclusion 46
CHAPTER 3 LEGAL FRAMEWORD OF DEFAMATION IN CHINA 48
Elements of Defamation 48
The reputation of the victim has been harmed 49
Defamatory statements 49
Publication 53
Harm to reputation 54
Causality exists between the illegal act and the harm to reputation 57
Subjective fault 59
Parties 63
public figures 64
The deceased 68
Media and media-related defendants 70
Jurisdiction 71
Defenses 71
truth 72
privilege 74
The right to criticize 77
Remedies 79
stoppage of infringement 79
rehabilitation of reputation and elimination of adverse influence 80
apology 81
damage 82
Conclusion 84
CHAPTER 4 MEDIA ENVIRONMENT IN CHINA 87
Changing Media Landscape 87
earlier history 87
emergence of non-party media 89
media commercialization 91
Legal and Political Pressures on the Media 94
media ownership 94
licensing 98
screening 100
forbidden content 103
personal management system 106
Party Journalism and Media Corruption 108
Coffclusion 112
CHAPTER 5 DEFAMATION LITIGATION AGAINST THE MEDIA.
AN OVERVIEW OF COURT-PUBLISHED CASES 115
Source Materials and Method 115
Overall Trend 121
Plaintiffs 128
ordinary persons 132
allegation of criminal/illegal activity and official report privilege 133
exposure of personal details and privacy protection 135
allegation of moral failings and the use of insulting words 137
allegation of unpopular behaviors or subjecting the plaintiff to ridicule 139
professionals 140
famous persons 142
government officials and government entities 145
relatives of the deceased 149
corporate plaintiffs 153
Defendants 155
party newspapers and non-party newspapers defendants 155
internet defamation 157
Remedies 162
non-monetary remedies 162
damages 165
Defenses 170
truth/falsity 174
official report privilege 178
opinions/academic debate and freedom of expression 180
Conclusion 185
CHAPTER 6 DEFAMATION LITIGATION IN A LEADING MEDIA CITY:
THE CASE OF CHENGDU 188
Media Environment in Chengdu 188
Source Materials and Method 191
Overall Trend 194
the coming of defamation litigation against the media 194
explosion of defamation litigation against the media/author 202
the outcome of defamation suits against media(author)defendants 205
Plaintiffs 211
ordinary persons 212
corporate plaintiffs 221
public officials and government entities 225
relatives of the deceased 230
professionals .232
Defendants 234
Remedies 241
non-monetary remedies 241
monetary compensation 243
Defenses 250
Conclusion 254
CHAPTER 7 DEFAMATION, THE MEDIA AND FREE SPEECH 257
Defamation Litigation Suppresses the Media? 258
Greater Protection to the Media in Defamation Expands Free Speech? 266
Conclusion 270
The Future of Chinese Defamation Law 274
criminal defamation 275
public figures 278
fact versus opinion 283
APPENDICES 287
REFERENCES 290