Part 4/9:
Faced with the upcoming depositions and the prospect of potentially damaging discoveries, ABC opted for a settlement, which included financial reparations and a public note regretting Stephanopoulos’s comments. This decision has sparked outrage among many media professionals and legal experts, who fear it sets a daunting precedent that could chill freedom of the press. Legal tensions associated with defamation cases can deter media outlets from reporting candidly on public figures, leading them to self-censor to avoid hefty lawsuits.