Sam Newman, Garry Lyon face Supreme Court grilling in Susan Alberti defamation suit

[Murphy'sLore]

Re: Sam Newman, Garry Lyon face Supreme Court grilling in Susan Alberti defamation su

Topdog, she doesn't have to prove any actual damage. The law only requires that the statement could have led to harm eg to her reputation.

If she wants to refute a claim that she's a liar, a hypocrite and useless at board level, that sounds fair enough to me. And if it makes Newman think twice before shooting his mouth off, it's worth it.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Sam Newman, Garry Lyon face Supreme Court grilling in Susan Alberti defamation su

If she wants to refute a claim that she's a liar, a hypocrite and useless at board level, that sounds fair enough to me. And if it makes Newman think twice before shooting his mouth off, it's worth it.

Agreed. She is a prominant business woman, and The Footy Show has a large (and seemingly impressionable) audience. The reasons he used to justify calling Alberti a liar, hypocrite weren't true and surely being called useless at board level on national television, especially considered the way his critique was delivered, could cause damage to her professional reputation.

[hujsh]

Re: Sam Newman, Garry Lyon face Supreme Court grilling in Susan Alberti defamation su

Trust me I won't be. How is she going to prove that she has lost anything by this "defamation"?

Only for slander do you have to prove harm. In this case it would be lible because it was in permanent form (media)

[Topdog]

Re: Sam Newman, Garry Lyon face Supreme Court grilling in Susan Alberti defamation su

Topdog, she doesn't have to prove any actual damage. The law only requires that the statement could have led to harm eg to her reputation.

You could be right. The bolded bit and the next paragraph seem slightly contradictory though.

The publication of any false imputation concerning a person, or a member of his family, whether living or dead, by which (a) the reputation of that person is likely to be injured or (b) he is likely to be injured in his profession or trade or (c) other persons are likely to be induced to shun, avoid, ridicule or despise him.

That the words were capable of a defamatory meaning as understood by ordinary members of society. Defamatory meaning could be anything which harms the person, in their reputation, their business or in the way other people treat them. The law does not say that the plaintiff must show actual proof of being harmed; it is enough that the false statement could have led to harm.

http://www.thenewsmanual.net/Resources/medialaw_in_australia_02.html

I don't remember the incident all that well but did Newman actually name her or the group of women. I'm not sure if I am an ordinary member of society but I'd find it very hard to believe that she has been harmed in any way.

[boydogs]

Re: Sam Newman, Garry Lyon face Supreme Court grilling in Susan Alberti defamation su

I don't remember the incident all that well but did Newman actually name her or the group of women.

The article below covers what happened:

http://www.theage.com.au/national/footy-show-aired-opinion-20080815-3wdx.html

I'm not sure if I am an ordinary member of society but I'd find it very hard to believe that she has been harmed in any way.

It also has to be false. If I was to say she is silly to waste the court's time, even if this lead the Bulldogs to fire her (harm), from your excerpt below the statement would have to be proven false which is only possible where a representation of fact not opinion is made

It seems the Garry Lyon statement re. purchasing tickets is most under question, as the Sam comments whilst arguably worse are more of an opinion. There is still the question of harm however.

This is where it starts to look like a vendetta from the Caroline Wilson stunt and Sam's response to her letter moreso than a genuine claim, as it's not even the sexist behaviour or comments she is contesting but being called and made to look like a hypocrite by Garry saying she purchased tickets to the show and then rang to make sure they were at the front, as if Susan herself was going to attend

The campaigning in the article below seems to me to be a more appropriate way of standing up against the sexism on display

http://www.theage.com.au/national/women-claim-victory-as-sams-boys-told-its-more-than-a-game-20080529-2jjp.html

[Topdog]

Re: Sam Newman, Garry Lyon face Supreme Court grilling in Susan Alberti defamation su

Cheers for that gogriff.

In all honesty she is doing herself more harm than good by pursuing this.

[Missing Dog]

Re: Sam Newman, Garry Lyon face Supreme Court grilling in Susan Alberti defamation su

Channel 9 have paid Susan Alberti $220,000

[Bornadog]

Re: Sam Newman, Garry Lyon face Supreme Court grilling in Susan Alberti defamation su

Channel 9 have paid Susan Alberti $220,000

nice little earner

[Missing Dog]

Re: Sam Newman, Garry Lyon face Supreme Court grilling in Susan Alberti defamation su

http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/legal-action-against-sam-newman-settled-20091116-ih38.html

Legal action against Sam Newman settled.
AAP

Legal action by a woman who lodged defamation proceedings against controversial television personality Sam Newman and the Nine Network has been settled.

Lawyers for the parties told the Victorian Supreme Court on Monday that they had agreed on a settlement and the defendants would pay Susan Alberti, an AFL Western Bulldogs board member, $220,000 plus the cost of the legal proceedings......

[The Coon Dog]

Re: Sam Newman, Garry Lyon face Supreme Court grilling in Susan Alberti defamation su

Channel 9 wouldn't have settled if they thought they would win.

[The Pie Man]

Re: Sam Newman, Garry Lyon face Supreme Court grilling in Susan Alberti defamation su

I see the comments on this story on the Hun website are predominantly negative re: this one - though I spose it's more a reflection on its conservative readership than anything else.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Sam Newman, Garry Lyon face Supreme Court grilling in Susan Alberti defamation su

Excellent news - even better if she uses the money to fund an additional Rookie or two

[Scraggers]

Re: Sam Newman, Garry Lyon face Supreme Court grilling in Susan Alberti defamation su

I dunno ... I'm torn.

As a Western Bulldogs supporter, I support Alberti's role in the club however, as an avid watcher of the Footy Show ... I don't think they did anything wrong ... to me, this is political correctness gone mad.

I saw both incidents that are talked about in this forum, neither of which I considered to be sexist or defamatory. Maybe that's just me though ...

The stapling of Wilson's photo to the head of a mannequin is NOT objectifying women as sex objects ...

And if Lyon's comments about the purchase of tables for the show was factually incorrect, then that is different story ...

I dunno ... I'm torn.

[LostDoggy]

Re: Sam Newman, Garry Lyon face Supreme Court grilling in Susan Alberti defamation su

I was amazed at the comments this thread received and as a female did not comment as I agreed with what Susan was doing and as a minority felt that my comments would not be received well - I think that Sam and the Footy show think they can do what they like. Susan is a business women who had a reputation to up hold.

She has won her case and settled outside of court - Herald Sun website claims she got $220,000 plus court costs.

This is a good result for women and also men as people's reputations are important !!!!

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

Re: Sam Newman, Garry Lyon face Supreme Court grilling in Susan Alberti defamation su

That is a sweeping statement. Could you please elaborate and give me some examples.

Clearly acting the fool every week on GTV9 is one of those jobs that men do best.

Can you imagine if we all took another person to court for every time we felt our intelligence was insulted?

I don't really care what she does for our club in this case. It's a different matter.

It's petty.

Sue Alberti has been a wonderful ambassador for charitable causes and the Western Bulldogs Football Club. This year alone she doubled the sponsorship of the Victorian Women's Football League from $50.000 to $100,000. In 2002, Sue Alberti at the Bulldogs Team of the Century presentation bid $44,000 for Tony Liberatore's jumper. Very few women would have the tenacity and strength of character to take on the might of Channel 9 and the Footy Show.
Maybe now at long last we might see some professionalism and respect come back into this show which is long overdue.