So the Associated Press, being by all accounts a news organization, reported an event.
So far as I am able to determine, their report was factually accurate.
That’s the first paragraph. The second paragraph – the one that follows the first:
So it seems clear that the AP covered the fact that an accusation was made against a public figure, and that the public figure denied the truth of the accusation. This is reporting the news.
No, Mr. Bowe. That’s not true. The AP was not remotely “reckless.” They accurately reported the truth: there was a man, at a book signing, that made an accusation. They took no position on the truth of the man’s accusation. They just said he made it, which in fact he did.
This nonsense irritates me no end. You cannot prevail in a lawsuit in which your case is that a news organization correctly reported an event that happened. I suppose you might be able to win a suit against the accuser, Alex Lombard, but since you’re representing a public figure, you’d have to prove the accusation is false; he would not be required to prove it’s true, so even then you’d have an uphill climb.
I’m surprised this action by Spicer and his attorney is a surprise to anyone. After all, we have seen the President and his staff constantly rant about “fake news” when something they don’t like being made public is reported. This is not any different.
I’m just pleased to see that Spicey is back in the news, whatever the reason. His antics never lack for unmitigated stupidity and craven invention whether regarding the size of Trump’s inaugural crowd or hiding in the White House shrubbery. From his “Dressed by Men’s Warehouse” fashion sense to his unerring ability to consistently fumble even the most trivial of responses, he is a testament to the dream of mediocrity transcending ability though person connections everywhere. BBC.com: “Sean Spicer’s most memorable moments at the podium”
<foghorn leghorn>“Nice boy but he’s got more nerve than a bum tooth!”</foghorn leghorn>
Your second link, about Spicer threatening to sue the AP, turns out to be a bad link. Following the rules of the SDMB, I am posting the corrected link outside the quote box:
Maybe he thinks that the public cannot notice both of any two stories that are happening simultaneously, and that by stretching out his fifteen minutes, he can assist his former boss in deflecting attention away from the clusterfuck du jour.
This action is mindbogglingly stupid. Not only can he not win, but the only case he can make is that the accusation is untrue. Which means that the attempt will result in an official court finding that the accusation is true. And probably also an official court finding that Lombard’s claim is also true. Plus, of course, the new story after the case, about how Spicer is a losing loser who lost against the AP.
Probably not, unless and until he actually files something with a court. And then the actual wording of the filing would be key. IANAL, but the AP is likely completely safe from any civil consequences as a result of what they wrote about the incident.
It looks like attention whoring on Spicer’s part, plain and simple.
I for one hope that Mr. Spicer goes through with the lawsuit and spends vast amounts of money on it, at least up to the point where he discovers that the case has no merit.