John Tatum and Mary Ann Tatum v. the Dallas Morning News, Inc. and Steve Blow

OPINION

Opinion by

Justice Whitehill

Appellants John and Mary Ann Tatum sued appellees Steve Blow and The Dallas Morning News (DMN) for libel regarding a column that Blow wrote and DMN published one month after the Tatums’ son Paul committed suicide. The column, captioned “Shrouding suicide leaves its danger unaddressed,” criticized people who are dishonest about loved ones’ suicides. Although the column did not mention the Tatums by name, it quoted from Paul’s obituary and it described him arid events surrounding his death. People who were familiar with the situation understood the column…