Southland Publishing Co. v. Sewell

Jordan, Judge.

This action is predicated upon an alleged newspaper libel which is defined by Code § 105-703 as: “Any false and malicious defamation of another in any newspaper, magazine, or periodical, tending to injure the reputation of any individual and expose him to public hatred, contempt, or ridicule, shall constitute a newspaper libel, the publication of such libelous matter being essential to recovery.”

A publication coming within this definition is actionable without any averment of special damage to the plaintiff, Holmes v. Clisby, 118 Ga. 820, 822 (45 SE 684), Witham v. Atlanta…