Libel

In News of Congressional Investigating Committees

•
Author:

Harold L. Nelson

Dr. Nelson has produced a thorough and scholarly study of an extremely complex problem. It should interest every newsman and student of journalism.

—

Fred S. Siebert, director, school of journalism, Michigan State University

Harold L. Nelson was an associate professor of journalism at the University of Wisconsin. He also taught at the Universities of California, Minnesota, and Iowa and at Texas Technological College. He also served as a reporter for the United Press Associations.

Dr. Nelson has produced a thorough and scholarly study of an extremely complex problem. It should interest every newsman and student of journalism.

—

Fred S. Siebert, director, school of journalism, Michigan State University

Table of Contents

I A JUSTIFICATION FOR LIBEL 3
History of the Rationale, 5. Hedging the Immunity, 8. Broadening
the Immunity, 10.
LIBEL, PUBLICITY, AND PROCEDURE 17
"Communist" as Libel, 17. Personalizing and Publicizing "Loyalty"
Investigations, 18. Committee Procedures and Privilege for the
Press, 22.
III COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS: THE PUBLIC FILES 28
The Files Material, 28. The Public Files in Relation to Court Deci-
sions, 32. News Reports Based on the Public Files, 38.
IV COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS: FILES REPORTS 41
The Files Report, 41. Files Reports in Relation to Court Decisions,
43. Public Files Reports as Legislative Proceedings, 51. Communi-
cations Media and the Public Files Report, 54.
v COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS: INVESTIGATIVE
REPORTS 58
Subcommittee "Reports to the Public," 58. Appendix Nine, 67.
Employees' Reports, 72.
II
VI COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS: CREATION OF SUB-
COMMITTEES 76
Committee Practice in Creating Subcommittees, 80. Rules Applying
to Creation of Subcommittees, 86. The Courts and Committee Pro-
cedure, 94. The Press and the Subcommittee Created by Chair-
man, 98.
VII COMMITTEE PROCEEDINGS: QUORUM 102
The Courts and Committee Quorum, 102. Quorum in the House
Committee on Un-American Activities Following the Christoffel
Decision, 107. Quorum in Executive Sessions, 111. The Press and
the Agency Lacking Quorum, 114.
VIII UNCERTAINTY IN THEORY 118
The Theory Ignored, 119. The "Public" Requirement, 122. Identi-
fication, 126. The Inadequacy of the Theory, 129.
NOTE TO NEWSMEN 135
APPENDIXES 141
NOTES 146
A SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY 165
INDEX OF CASES 168
SUBJECT INDEX 171