Veritas Memos on the Way?

The New York Times can print the Project Veritas memos.

One problem with demanding censorship with regard to a particular text is that you may draw a lot of attention to something that would otherwise have passed largely unnoticed. This is called the "Carol Burnet" effect, I believe.

The term goes back to a 1976 column in The National Enquirer that portrayed comedienne Burnett as drunk. It was a short dfour-sentence item that might have been very quickly forgotten had Burnett not sued over it.

The litigation lasted for years and ended up being an important precedent. BUT the lesson remains: if you think you are hurt by people who spread item X, consider the degree to which your lawsuit will do exactly that, before bringing it.

A simple thought for Project Veritas to contemplate this week. The underlying subject of the memos in question was perfectly obscure. Now it will be clear. It will also be or at least it will briefly seem, important.

Comments

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