[Balding_Eagle]

I’m not an attorney, but he seems to have done a reasonably good analysis and come to the conclusion that there isn’t a case for libel.

[Tupelo]

To boil it down to two sentences.
Not likely.
After all Tolling Stone is a member in good standing of the approved media in this country.

[HiTech RedNeck]

Someone would have to be purposely/recklessly lied about for it to be a libel. They will run a correction and that will be the end of it.

[Alberta's Child]

Rolling Stone magazine's best defense in a hypothetical libel case might be that no "victim" can show any harm from their phony story because nobody reads the magazine anyway.

[Paine in the Neck]

Reckless disregard for the veracity of what was alleged? Malicious intent? Yes to both.

[RayChuang88]

I hope Rolling Stone has some VERY good lawyers because there are a lot of very rich alumni of the University of Virginia that will be more than happy to put up the money for a libel and slander case against the magazine.

In effect, it's the Duke Lacrosse case all over again.

[MUDDOG]

The credibility of the author of this piece, Eugene Volokh, is undermined by his being one of the PC lynch mob on allegations of sexual assault on campus. He advocates lowering the standard from "clear and convincing" to "preponderance of the evidence."

Link

[Snickering Hound]

I'd bet Rolling Stone would make a huge cash settlement to avoid discovery.

[moehoward]

Stikes me as down right hilarious that in Almost Famous Rolling Stone is portrayed as so credible it fact checked Crowe’ stillwater story.

Life NOT imitating art.

[sodpoodle]

It’s possible the woman was raped somewhere, by someone and has her facts distorted because of drugs or booze.

The ‘reporter’ should have delved into her background more thoroughly and done due diligence.

Cannot see how she could ‘interview’ the suspects - how would that have been accomplished?

[IronJack]

Short answer? No.

The rapist was not definitively identified, which means that there was no material damage done to any individual, so who would have standing to sue? Secondly, the charge of rape was made and the "newspaper" reported it. If they used the right "weasel words" ("alleged", "suspect", etc.), they are within their rights to publish the assertion, without rendering any judgment as to guilt or innocence.

[Stingray51]

First, anyone can start a lawsuit and sometimes doing so makes a point even if it eventually gets dismissed. So it may be worth a try.

Second, I would like to see the University get sued. As we saw with Duke, the university administrators are quick to throw their own students, at least the white male ones, under the bus without any investigation at all. That is just wrong; given that many, perhaps most, frat members are still teenagers, I think they are victims of bullying. I president Sullivan is a bully and needs to be held legally accountable.

[TexasCajun]

I hope they sue Lena Dunham for all she's got.

Oh wait. ...different lying rape claim.

Nevermind