Video: Fake News and the First Amendment
Can the law punish deliberate lies about public matters? Well, it depends.
Here are the six rules of fake news:
1. False statements that tend to damage reputations can generally be punished.
2. Deliberate lies aimed at getting money can be punished as fraud.
3. Deliberate lies as well as honest mistakes in commercial advertising can be punished.
4. Lies about the government can’t be punished.
5. Lies about big picture topics generally can’t be punished, either.
6. Lies about more specific topics are more complicated.