ABC: Always Be Caving

“ABC News should never have caved. They might well have prevailed if they had hung in there. The legal bar is very high for libeling a public figure, and Trump is the ultimate public figure. Instead, this outcome encourages Trump in his attacks on the press — and he needs no encouragement. As one law professor told the Times, what ABC News did was very unusual. News organizations generally don’t settle ‘because they fear the dangerous pattern of doing so and because they have the full weight of the First Amendment on their side.'” Margaret Sullivan on ABC’s decision to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit filed by Donald Trump: The Disney-owned news outlet broke Rule 1 of resisting autocracy: ‘Don’t obey in advance.'”

+ Of course, we don’t know all the details from behind the scenes. Brian Stelter offers up a few possibilities for why ABC News settled with Donald Trump for $15 million.

+ Whatever the reason, the move sets a bad precedent. One you can bet will have repercussions. NYY (Gift Article): Trump and His Picks Threaten More Lawsuits Over Critical Coverage.