Neutral Reportage

Neutral reportage is a common law defense against libel and defamation law suits usually involving the media republishing unproven accusations about public figures. It is a limited exception to the common law rule that one who repeats a defamatory statement is just as guilty as the first person who published it.

Using this defense a defendant can claim that they are not implying the offending statement is true but simply reporting in a neutral manner that the potentially libelous statements were made even if they doubt the accuracy of the statement. For the defence to succeed, it is almost always required that the reporting is unbiased and in the public interest.