Trends in Digital Defamation: Defendants, Plaintiffs and Platforms

This project gathers data on aspects of ‘digital defamation’ cases over the five-year period 2013 to 2017. It is intended as a short, sharp review of one area of concern for journalism in an era of digital publishing, news aggregation and social media.

The research report was published in March 2018 and is available to download below:

The research investigates three key questions:

  1. Who commences and proceeds with a defamation action, at least to the stage of an initial judgment of a court?
  2. Who are the ‘publishers’ these actions are brought against?
  3. What are the platforms on which defamatory matter is said to be published?

The project is part of the exploration of change, challenge and adaptation facing the journalism that marks out the work of the Centre for Media Transition. It  demonstrates why we think work in this area often needs to be interdisciplinary – in this case, bringing together knowledge and experience from the disciplines of journalism and law.

It is part of a program of work that aims to monitor, record and report on protections and incursions on media freedoms, primarily in Australia but with reference to developments overseas. 

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.