Cyberspace and Libel: A Dangerous Balance for Physicians
Freedom of speech and expression is one of the core tenets of modern societies. It was deemed to be so fundamentally essential to early American life that it was inscribed as the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Over the past century, the rise of modern life also marked the rise of...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
JMIR Publications
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Interactive Journal of Medical Research |
| Online Access: | https://www.i-jmr.org/2021/2/e22271 |
| _version_ | 1818885470739759104 |
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| author | Chiruvella, Varsha Guddati, Achuta Kumar |
| author_facet | Chiruvella, Varsha Guddati, Achuta Kumar |
| author_sort | Chiruvella, Varsha |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Freedom of speech and expression is one of the core tenets of modern societies. It was deemed to be so fundamentally essential to early American life that it was inscribed as the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Over the past century, the rise of modern life also marked the rise of the digital era and age of social media. Freedom of speech thus transitioned from print to electronic media. Access to such content is almost instantaneous and available to a vast audience. From social media to online rating websites, online defamation may cause irreparable damage to a physician’s reputation and practice. It is especially relevant in these times of political turbulence where the battle to separate facts from misinformation has started a debate about the responsibility of social media. The historical context of libel and its applicability in the age of increasing online presence is important for physicians since they are also bound by duty to protect the privacy of their patients. The use of public rating sites and social media will continue to be important for physicians, as online presence and incidents of defamation impact the practice of medicine. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-19T16:05:57Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7b9835fd2dc44cb1b338ac2849ea495f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1929-073X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-19T16:05:57Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Interactive Journal of Medical Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-7b9835fd2dc44cb1b338ac2849ea495f2022-12-21T20:14:50ZengJMIR PublicationsInteractive Journal of Medical Research1929-073X2021-05-01102e2227110.2196/22271Cyberspace and Libel: A Dangerous Balance for PhysiciansChiruvella, VarshaGuddati, Achuta KumarFreedom of speech and expression is one of the core tenets of modern societies. It was deemed to be so fundamentally essential to early American life that it was inscribed as the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. Over the past century, the rise of modern life also marked the rise of the digital era and age of social media. Freedom of speech thus transitioned from print to electronic media. Access to such content is almost instantaneous and available to a vast audience. From social media to online rating websites, online defamation may cause irreparable damage to a physician’s reputation and practice. It is especially relevant in these times of political turbulence where the battle to separate facts from misinformation has started a debate about the responsibility of social media. The historical context of libel and its applicability in the age of increasing online presence is important for physicians since they are also bound by duty to protect the privacy of their patients. The use of public rating sites and social media will continue to be important for physicians, as online presence and incidents of defamation impact the practice of medicine.https://www.i-jmr.org/2021/2/e22271 |
| spellingShingle | Chiruvella, Varsha Guddati, Achuta Kumar Cyberspace and Libel: A Dangerous Balance for Physicians Interactive Journal of Medical Research |
| title | Cyberspace and Libel: A Dangerous Balance for Physicians |
| title_full | Cyberspace and Libel: A Dangerous Balance for Physicians |
| title_fullStr | Cyberspace and Libel: A Dangerous Balance for Physicians |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cyberspace and Libel: A Dangerous Balance for Physicians |
| title_short | Cyberspace and Libel: A Dangerous Balance for Physicians |
| title_sort | cyberspace and libel a dangerous balance for physicians |
| url | https://www.i-jmr.org/2021/2/e22271 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chiruvellavarsha cyberspaceandlibeladangerousbalanceforphysicians AT guddatiachutakumar cyberspaceandlibeladangerousbalanceforphysicians |