Though he prevailed, the damage was permanent. Even after he was completely exonerated and proven to be a hero, I recall commentators telling Richard Jewell jokes.
That’s a really great point. The significant damage done by mass media, especially when its done with the United States Government, is permanent, and that, in and of itself, becomes a point of reference that people allude to for years and decades to come, because A. people are familiar with (and even reminded) of the controversy, and B. They remember how they felt about the issue being presented. So if someone like Jewell is vindicated (like he was), then the news of that wouldn’t reach as many people being a single story (as opposed to an ongoing string of stories that point to a single accusation), and still, way too many people would continue believing the lie, not aware of the contrary. I see that even today in how people recall the George W. Bush years, believing that they caused 9/11 and believe that he wanted to go in to steal Iraq’s oil. It’s stuff like this that makes you want to pray for President Trump because he encounters this harassment regularly, on a daily basis, since he became.a serious presidential contender.