Defamation laws dictate that the mass media should not publish false information which damages someone's reputation.
In the modern world of the Internet no such laws are necessary. Everyone can be their own mass-media outlet. Everyone can get the right of reply by setting up their own Internet web-site, and ultimately people will make their own decisions about the reliability of one source based on their past performance.
If defamation laws were removed, some media will work on a model of producing exciting and scandalous lies about people. Some people would read such lies, and a very small number would choose to believe them. On the whole though, most people would simply choose to spend their time with more reliable media outlets.
On the Internet it takes about 5 seconds to find a view which opposes the view which you are currently reading. Try it.
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