A media company published on its television channel, website and on the social network, publications attributing to a candidate running for office in the city of Katzrin racist expressions towards the other candidate and the Ethiopian community as a whole.
The Court accepted the claim against the media company, the editor and the journalist due to defamation. Defamation is, inter alia, a publication that may humiliate a person in the eyes of others or demean the person due to acts, behavior or traits attributed to him. Defamation can be done even implicitly. A media company will be deemed liable for publications by its journalist if such did not take reasonable means to verify the truth of the publications. In this case, even though the name of the candidate was not explicitly stated, it was implied by the fact that only two candidates participated in the local authority elections. Accusing a person of racist remarks, even if not directly, is defamation. The publications were incorrect and were not verified, even after a request for their removal was made. Therefore, the publications constitute defamation and the media company, its editor and the journalist are to compensate.