In 1964 the Supreme Court sided with the American Media through a unanimous vote in the landmark case, NYT v. Sullivan. This case set the standard of actual malice in libel lawsuits and, in doing so, established a new legal precedent privileging the press.

The ruling in NYT v. Sullivan set the precedent for the actual malice precedent used in libel lawsuits today.

When you hear the term “public figure” it’s probably not that difficult for you to imagine someone who could hold that title. However, over the last 50 years the qualifications that make someone a public figure have changed.