How utterly idiotic. Freedom of speech and the press should mean exactly that, even beyond the limits of defamation and libel. You should not be able to sue someone just because they say naughty or untrue things about you. You have no right to your image.
Freedom of the press means the government does not decide who is the press.
You are quite wrong. If I published an article saying that you had a meth lab in your kitchen and in your spare time you were a burglar and rapist, you could certainly sue me for libel.