Retractions Can Defame Authors

When outlets retract and publish broad denunciations without fully transparent evidentiary backing, they risk defamation and contract liability. The Atlantic reportedly paid over $1 million to settle Ruth Shalit Barrett’s suit while keeping the retraction online, signaling a costly mismatch between public censure and litigable facts. — This could reset newsroom retraction policies toward more evidence‑forward corrections and narrower editor’s notes to avoid legal and trust blowback.