Recanted Allegations Proof of Al-Jazeera Actual Malice, Phillies Player Says
Al-Jazeera's claim its sports doping documentary never actually accused athlete Ryan Howard of taking performance enhancing drugs fails to make clear why a viewer wouldn't reasonably see it conveying the cable network's endorsement that such an accusation is true, Howard…
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said in a motion (in Pacer) Tuesday in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. The Philadelphia Phillies first baseman sued the now-defunct Al-Jazeera America network, plus Al-Jazeera Media Network and Al-Jazeera International for defamation, with Al-Jazeera and defendant Deborah Davies, a reporter, filing a motion to dismiss, while another reporter defendant, Liam Collins, separately filed a dismissal motion. In his opposition Tuesday to the twin motions to dismiss, Howard said the fact Al-Jazeera and the reporters knew that the source of the doping allegations in "The Dark Side" had recanted them before the documentary aired, their failure to corroborate or investigate those allegations and their "motive and even need to generate a sensational story" all go to show they acted with knowledge of probable falsity or reckless disregard for the truth, and the motions to dismiss should be denied. Al-Jazeera didn't comment.