Massoud v Radio 2GB Sydney Pty Ltd; Massoud v Fox Sports Australia Ltd; Massoud v Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation Pty Ltd; Massoud v Nine Digital Pty Ltd; Massoud v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2021] NSWDC 336

District Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Massoud v Radio 2GB Sydney Pty Ltd; Massoud v Fox Sports Australia Ltd; Massoud v Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation Pty Ltd; Massoud v Nine Digital Pty Ltd; Massoud v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2021] NSWDC 336 Hearing dates: 26 – 30 April, 3 – 5 May, 13 – 14 May and 27 May 2021, 11 June 2021(submissions) Date of orders: 29 July 2021 Decision date: 29 July 2021 Jurisdiction: Civil Before: Gibson DCJ Decision: Orders: (1) Judgment for the defendant in Massoud v Radio 2GB Sydney Pty Ltd (2019/00133854). (2) Judgment for the defendant in Massoud v Fox Sports Australia Pty Ltd (2019/00134071). (3) Judgment for the defendant in Massoud v Commonwealth Broadcasting Corporation Pty Ltd (2019/001333079). (4) Judgment for the defendant in Massoud v Nine Digital Pty Ltd (2019/00134011). (5) Judgment for the defendant in Massoud v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (2019/00134071). (6) The plaintiff to pay the defendants' costs, with liberty to apply. (7) Exhibits retained until further order. Catchwords: TORT – defamation – plaintiff suspended and dismissed from his employment as a journalist for telling an 18-year-old cadet that if he weren't so young, the plaintiff would rip his head off and shit down his throat – plaintiff brings proceedings against five media organisations for misquoting what he said in otherwise factually correct reports – defences of justification and contextual truth – judgment for defendants Legislation Cited: Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) ss 56 – 58 Defamation Act 2005 (NSW) ss, 3, 4, 14, 15, 18, 25, 26, 31, 34 and 38 Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) ss 60 and 91 Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 2005 (NSW) Cases Cited: Abou-Lokmeh v Harbour Radio Pty Ltd [2016] NSWCA 228 Ager v Canjex Publishing Ltd (2005) 259 DLR (4th) 77 Agustin-Bunch v Smith [2021] VSC 158 Ainsworth v Burden [2005] NSWCA 174 Ali v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2008] NSWCA 183 Allen v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (Supreme Court of New South Wales, Hunt J, 2 December 1988) Aon Risk Services Australia Limited v Australian National University (2009) 239 CLR 175 Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Comalco Ltd (1986) 12 FCR 510 Australian Competition and Consumer Commission v Social-Lites Pty Ltd [2017] FCA 398 Barton v Armstrong [1969] 2 NSWR 451 Bauer Media Pty Ltd v Wilson (No 2) [2018] VSCA 154 Bellino v Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd [2019] FCA 1380 Bennette v Cohen [2009] NSWCA 60 Brown v Maurice Blackburn Cashman (2013) 45 VR 22 Burrows v Macpherson and Kelly [2021] NSWCA 148 Burstein v Times Newspapers Ltd (2001) 1 WLR 579 Carolan v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (no 7) [2017] NSWSC 351 Carson v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd (1993) 178 CLR 44 Channel Seven Sydney Pty Ltd v Mahommed (2010) 278 ALR 232 Charan v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2018] VSC 3 Chau v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd [2019] FCA 185 Clark v Norton [1910] VLR 494 Coleman v Power (2004) 220 CLR 1 Cooper-Flynn v Radio Telefis Eireann [2004] IESC 27 Cornes v The Ten Group Pty Ltd & Ors [2012] SASCFC 99 Cornwell v Channel Seven Sydney Pty Ltd [2016] NSWCA 255 Craftsman Homes Australia Pty Ltd v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd [2006] NSWSC 519 Cummings v Fairfax Digital Australia & New Zealand Pty Ltd; Cummings v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd [2018] NSWCA 325 Customs and Excise Commissioners v A & Another [2003] 2 All ER 736 at 754 Dank v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2016] NSWSC 295 Davis v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2008] NSWSC 693 De Kauwe v Cohen [2021] WASC 25 Digi-Tech (Australia) Ltd v Brand & Ors (2004) 62 IPR 184 Donoghue v Hayes (1831) Exch of Pleas 265 Eatock v Bolt [2011] FCA 1103 Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd v Gayle; The Age Company Pty Ltd v Gayle; The Federal Capital Press of Australia Pty Ltd v Gayle [2019] NSWCA 172 Fairfax Media Publications v Zeccola [2015] NSWCA 329 Farrow v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (2017) 95 NSWLR 612 Gayle v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 2) [2018] NSWSC 1838 Giani v Queensland Television Ltd & Ors [2015] QDC 286 Goldsmith v Sperrings Ltd [1977] 1 WLR 478 Green v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd [2020] WASC 250 Hanson-Young v Leyonhjelm (No 4) [2019] FCA 1981 Hill v Westfield & Anor [2003] NSWSC 437 Hobbs v C T Tinling & Co; Hobbs v Nottingham Journal Ltd [1929] 2 KB 1 Hockey v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd [2015] FCA 652 Holt v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd [2012] NSWSC 770 Holt v TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd [2014] NSWCA 90 Humphries v TWT Ltd [1993] ACTSC 24; 113 FLR 402 Humphries v TWT Ltd [1993] FCA 577; 120 ALR 693 Hutley v Cosco [2021] NSWCA 17 Jackson v John Fairfax & Sons Ltd [1981] 1 NSWLR 36 John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd v Obeid (2005) 64 NSWLR 485 John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd v Rivkin (2003) 77 ALJR 1657 Jones v Sutton (No 2) [2005] NSWCA 203 Lewis v Daily Telegraph [1964] AC 234 Llewellyn v Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd (2006) 154 FCR 293 Maisel v Financial Times Ltd [1915] 3 KB 336 Marsden v Amalgamated Television Services Pty Ltd [2001] NSWSC 520 Mirror Newspapers Ltd v Harrison (1982) 149 CLR 293 Mohareb v Booth [2020] NSWCA 49 Nail v News Group Newspapers Ltd and others; Nail v Jones and Another [2005] 1 All ER 1040 O'Hagan v Nationwide News Pty Ltd (2001) 53 NSWLR 89 O'Neill v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd (No 2) [2019] NSWSC 655 O'Shaughnessy v Mirror Newspapers Ltd (1970) 125 CLR 166 Oyston v St Patrick's College [2013] NSWCA 135 Palmer v McGowan [2021] FCA 430 Pamplin v Express Newspapers Ltd [1988] 1 WLR 116 Pearse v Viva Energy Refining Pty Ltd [2017] FWC 3817 Pedavoli v John Fairfax Publications Pty Ltd [2014] NSWSC 1476 Pingel v Toowoomba Newspapers Pty Ltd [2010] QCA 175 Plato Films Ltd v Speidel [1961] AC 1090 R v Ireland [1997] 1 All ER 112 Rochfort v John Fairfax &Sons Ltd [1972] 1 NSWLR 16 Sands v Channel Seven Adelaide Pty Ltd and Anor (2009) 104 SASR 452 State Rail Authority of NSW v Earthline Constructions Pty Ltd (1999) 160 ALR 588 Stead v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Ltd [2021] FCA 15 Stocker v Stocker [2019] UKSC 17 Sutherland v Stopes [1925] AC 47 Tauafaga v TCN Channel 9 Pty Ltd [2013] NSWSC 8 Thornton v Telegraph Media Group Limited (No.2) [2011] EWHC 1884 Tuberville v Savage (1669) 86 ER 684 V'Landys v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (No.3) [2021] FCA 500 Watson v Foxman (1995) 49 NSWLR 315 Zoef v Nationwide News Pty Ltd [2016] NSWCA 283 Texts Cited: "A Comparative Study of Defamation Costs Across Europe", Oxford University, 2008 (http://pcmlp.socleg.ox.ac.uk/sites/pcmlp.socleg.ox.ac.uk/files/defamationreport.pdf) D. Rolph, Defamation Law (Thomson Reuters (Professional) Australia, 2015) J G Fleming, "Retraction and Reply: Alternative Remedies for Defamation" (1978) 12 U Col L Rev 15 New South Wales Government Gazette, No 132, 26 June 2020, at p. 3045 New South Wales Government Gazette, No 247, 11 June 2021 New South Wales Legislative Assembly, Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), 13 September 2005, at p. 17636 Category: Principal judgment Parties: Plaintiff: Josh Massoud