Word: libellant
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...staff was riddled with subversives. For Post Editor James A. Wechsler he had a separate set of Winchellisms, e.g., "Cherry Coke Wexla," "James Jake Ivan Wechsler," "New York Post's General Pinko," and "Pinko Punko." In reply, the Post and Wechsler brought a $1,525,000 libel suit against Winchell, his sponsor (Gruen Watch Co.), Hearst Corp., King Features Syndicate and American Broadcasting Co. (TIME, Dec. 29, 1952). This week, in settlement of the suit, Winchell issued the most abject retraction of his career. Because of his trouble over this and other libel suits, he also broke...
...column. Furthermore, to make the Post's victory complete, Winchell's employers agreed to pay $30,000 to the Post to cover the legal expenses of bringing the suit and taking depositions (TIME, July 13, 1953). Winchell also agreed to drop his $2,000,000 countersuit for libel against the Post, Publisher Dorothy Schiff and Editor Wechsler...
...More Protection. In his contracts with the network and Hearst Corp., Winchell is insured against libel suits; he does not have to pay damages. But Winchell does not think that with ABC he has enough protection. For example, the $1,000,000 in insurance policies that ABC has taken out does not cover Winchell for punitive damages, i.e., where the court orders damages paid to "punish for maliciousness," as in the $175,000 paid to Author Quentin Reynolds in his suit against Hearst Columnist Westbrook Pegler (TIME, July 5). Winchell asked that his protection be changed to make it "foolproof...
...This is too much!" he shouted. "Either I smash my hand across his face, or I attack him for libel, or I resign...
...working reporters, freedom of the press also covers the right of newspapermen to keep secret the names of their sources. Last week, in Canada, the Supreme Court said not so. In a precedent-making decision the court ruled that when malice is an issue in a libel suit, reporters must name their sources or lose their right to make a defense. The case grew out of a libel suit brought by Gordon Wismer, onetime Attorney General of British Columbia, against Blair Fraser, Ottawa editor of Maclean's magazine, who had written an article on backroom political shenanigans...