Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress

Individuals sometimes sue the news media for emotional distress caused by the publication of embarrassing, truthful facts. Courts generally require that the statement be made intentionally or recklessly, that it be "extreme and outrageous," that the statement be the cause of the plaintiff's distress, and that the distress be severe. Note that, in Hustler Magazine v. Falwell, the Supreme Court ruled that public figures and officials may not recover for intentional infliction of emotional distress without demonstrating that the material in question contained a false statement of fact that was made with actual malice.