Newspaper Threatens To Sue Politician For ‘Fake News’ Accusation

Grand Junction, Colo.’s Daily Sentinel has threatened to sue state Sen. Ray Scott (R) for defamation after the politician accused the newspaper of running a “fake news story.” The dispute centers on a bill introduced into the state’s legislature that would give journalists greater access to public records. The Daily Sentinel ran an opinion piece supporting the bill and saying Scott, who represents Grand Junction, postponed a hearing and a vote on the bill. “We call on our own Sen. Scott to announce a new committee hearing date and move this bill forward,” the paper wrote. In response, Scott shot back via Twitter, “We have our own fake news in Grand Junction.” He added, in a post to Facebook, “The very liberal GJ Sentinel is attempting to apply pressure for me to move a bill. They have no facts, as usual … They haven’t contacted me to get any information on why the bill has been delayed but choose to run a fake news story demanding I run the bill.” Jay Seaton, the Sentinel’s publisher, is exploring his options for a lawsuit, which could potentially set a legal definition for what is considered fake news and what is not. George Freeman, executive director for the nonprofit Media Law Resource Center and former in-house counsel for the New York Times told NPR: “I think a line has to be set. People just can’t call whatever they don’t like ‘fake news,’ and that’s what [Scott] is essentially doing.”