The document discusses the landmark 1964 Supreme Court case New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, which established the "actual malice" standard for public officials to win libel suits over statements about their official conduct. It provided background on defamation and libel law, outlined the facts of the Sullivan case where the NY Times was sued for running a civil rights advertisement, and summarized the court's decision that overturned the ruling against the Times on First Amendment grounds. The document also included a hypothetical question and answer session where students provided their views on issues relating to defamation, public figures, the responsibilities of newspapers, and how defamation claims may change with new media.