Second trial, same result—Sarah Palin loses libel case against The New York Times again

Sarah Palin has been making headlines since she lost her defamation lawsuit against The New York Times on April 22, 2025, which marks her second trial defeat.

According to a report in CNN, Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice-presidential nominee, sued the paper in 2017 over an editorial, America's Lethal Politics, published on June 14, which falsely linked her political action committee’s rhetoric to the 2011 Arizona shooting that killed six and wounded Representative Gabrielle Giffords.

After deliberating for about two hours, the jury delivered its verdict. The case initially went to trial in 2022, with both the jury and judge ruling in favor of The New York Times. However, a federal court overturned those decisions last year, prompting a retrial this month, reported the paper.

In a statement, a NYT spokesperson said:

“We want to thank the jurors for their careful deliberations. The decision reaffirms an important tenet of American law: publishers are not liable for honest mistakes.”

However, it is not clear whether Palin will appeal the verdict or it will end the lawsuit’s eight-year run, which wrongly linked her to the Arizona mass shooting.

What was the response of The New York Times when Palin sued them in June 2017? Here is what we need to know.

How did the New York Times respond to Sarah Palin's lawsuit in 2017?

The New York Times responded to Sarah Palin's 2017 defamation lawsuit by immediately issuing a correction and an apology after publishing an editorial that inaccurately implied Palin had provoked a fatal 2011 shooting in Arizona.

According to a report in CNN, in less than 24 hours, the outlet released a correction where the former editor of The Times, James Bennet, admitted the error, clarifying that “no such link was established.” Reportedly, the article was written by him.

The 61-year-old took to X on April 23, 2025, to reflect on her loss in the defamation lawsuit. She wrote:

“We didn’t prevail in federal court against the New York Times. But please keep fighting for integrity in media. I’ll keep asking the press to quit making things up. keep the faith.”

Her fans and followers took to the comments section to support her with their encouraging words.

“Sorry to hear of the ruling. Keep enjoying your beautiful life and as always, we will all continue keeping the faith.” A user wrote.

“You showed courage and fought the good fight. Justice is often elusive. You continue to earn respect by doing the courageous thing, though. Hold your head high!” Another user said.

The Times’ lawyer, Felicia Ellsworth, requested the jury to reject Palin’s arguments as “just another opportunity to take on the fake news.” She added that Palin’s lawyers had failed to prove Bennet acted with “actual malice.” She said,

“James Bennet, Elizabeth Williamson, Linda Cohen and the other editors and fact checkers who worked on the editorial did not think that the editorial was saying the map caused the shooting, but once they realized it was being read that way, they acted quickly.”

This comes amidst US President Donald Trump’s war against the press. According to a report in AP, Trump launched high-profile lawsuits against major networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC News over coverage that he claims was misleading or unfavorable to him.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback