§ 76-9-504. Fair reporting privilege of newspaper or broadcasting station personnel as to public official proceedings -- Privilege as to defamatory matter not subject to censorship.

     No reporter, editor, or proprietor of any newspaper, and no owner, licensee, or operator of a visual or sound radio broadcasting station, or network of stations, nor the agents or employees of a newspaper or broadcasting station, is liable to any prosecution for a fair and true report or broadcast of any judicial, legislative, or other public official proceedings, or of any statement, speech, argument, or debate in course of the same, except upon proof of malice in making the report, which shall not be implied from the mere fact of publication. In no event shall any owner, licensee, or operator of a visual or sound radio broadcasting station or network of stations, or the agents or employees thereof, be liable for prosecution for any defamatory matter or statement published or uttered in such radio or television broadcast where the publication cannot be censored by reason of the provisions of federal statute or the regulations of the federal communications commission.

Enacted by Chapter 196, 1973 General Session