Greetings... I am a small business owner who has been slammed by a TV news "jourlanlist" and it is VERY bad. He made comments and statements that are not only inaccurate, but downright LIES! Do I have ANY hope of sueing for any damages at all? Please help, this could ruin my business!

Thank you!

Yes you can sue him, AND the TV Station.

Sorry about that, I guess I should be more specific! I am a photographer, and a very good one I might add! I do about 30-40 weddings a year, and I have been in the biz for about 17 years. We have a "journalist" here in town that is notorious for doing these "investigative" reports.

So, the long and short of it is this. Last June, I photographed a wedding, and within a month, had the bride and grooms personalized website up and running. In this day and age, I no longer make paper proofs, all of my clients view their images online. Well time goes by, and I never hear from this bride again... until late August. Also in late August, I was admitted to the ICU at the local hospital with multiple pulmonary emboli. In other words, I almost died and am very lucky to be here. In any case, the day after I got home from the hospital, that same bride emailed me and I explained to her that I had been in the hospital, and needed a few days to get my bearings. I asked her to call me next week. Well... she never did. I never heard from her until she showed up at my home with a news crew. Now, most investigative reporters would at least want to hear my side of the story first... but not this guy! He yelled at me that "the only way I am not going to trash your business is if you talk to me on camera!" I offered SEVERAL times to chat with him off camera (hey, I am BEHIND the camera for a reason... I don't like it!) but he kept up with the intimidation until I let him in. When it was done that day, he told me and the bride that he would be fair, and would chat with both of us again before making a decision about airing the story. Well, he was fair for about 9 days, and then I woke up today to hear my name being plastered on the news.

After watching the clips all day, and then sitting through the torture that he presented on the 10o'clock news... not only did he not even show ANY of my side of the story, but he OUTRIGHT lied on several occasions!! What can I do about this! How can I fight a huge news station with mush deeper pockets than me? He completely downplayed all of my comments, about how the bride NEVER ORDERED ANYTHING, and totally played on the sympathy of "oh, the poor bride...it was supposed to be the best day of her life"...

HELP!! And thanks!

DKW

Welcome to the real news, and you now know how President Bush or President Clinton feels,

You almost never hear the real truth on TV but hear how they present it.
If the clips they showed was you actually saying things, there is little you can do about it, since you agreed to an interview.

And how do you sue, you find an attorney who things you could win and will work for a percentage if you win.

But often on these cases it will take tens of thousdands of dollars and years to even get to court

You need to consult an attorney. If you can prove that the reporter outright lied, you stand a good chance of winning. But as Chuck said this may take time and money. However, I would definitely consult an attorney. You should be able to talk to the Station manager (with your attorney) and explain why the piece was not fair reporting. You may get a retraction or a settlement. Since this is your livelihood, I would definitely pursue it.