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Cohn v. National Broadcasting Co.

408 N.E.2d 672, 50 N.Y.2d 885, 430 N.Y.S.2d 265, 6 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1398, 1980 N.Y. LEXIS 2443
CourtNew York Court of Appeals
DecidedJune 5, 1980
StatusPublished
Cited by32 cases

This text of 408 N.E.2d 672 (Cohn v. National Broadcasting Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering New York Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Cohn v. National Broadcasting Co., 408 N.E.2d 672, 50 N.Y.2d 885, 430 N.Y.S.2d 265, 6 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1398, 1980 N.Y. LEXIS 2443 (N.Y. 1980).

Opinion

OPINION OF THE COURT

Memorandum.

The order appealed from should be affirmed for the reasons stated in the opinion of Mr. Justice Fein at the Appellate Division (67 AD2d 140).

We agree with the court below that none of the individual passages of which plaintiffs complain are defamatory as to them. We would add only that in our view the cumulative effect of all of such passages cannot be said to be defamatory. While it is true that the courts " 'will not strain’ to interpret [allegedly defamatory works] 'in their mildest and most inoffensive sense to hold them nonlibelous’ ” (November v Time Inc., 13 NY2d 175, 178, quoting Mencher v Chesley, 297 NY 94, 99), it is also true that courts will not strain to find a defamatory interpretation where none exists (see Tracy v Newsday, Inc., 5 NY2d 134).

Chief Judge Cooke and Judges Jasen, Gabrielli, Jones, Wachtler, Fuchsberg and Meyer concur.

Order affirmed, with costs, in a memorandum.

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408 N.E.2d 672, 50 N.Y.2d 885, 430 N.Y.S.2d 265, 6 Media L. Rep. (BNA) 1398, 1980 N.Y. LEXIS 2443, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cohn-v-national-broadcasting-co-ny-1980.