Ethics

Business Ethics Case 1. What kind of paper is the National Enquirer?

The National Enquirer is an entertainment magazine that focuses on the personal lives of famous celebrities. Many of the topics listed in the National Enquirer are aimed to defame celebrities or further damage their names. They report skeptical information regarding celebrity relationships, abuse, drugs, and other potentially negative information. This magazine is sold all over the U.S.

2. Was it ethical for the National Enquirer to try to avoid suit in California?

It was unethical for the National Enquirer to avoid the lawsuit. They publish a great deal of defamatory detail about the personal lives of many celebrities. Publishing this kind of information hurt the image of Shirley Jones, and in order to retrieve the kind of information they did, they needed to invade her personal life. They do this without the consent of Shirley. Therefore, Shirley had legitimate reason to file suit.

3. Are the defendants subject to suit in California? Why or why not?

Yes, the defendants are subject to suit for a number of reasons. For one, the National Enquirer may have defamed, invaded the privacy, and inflicted emotional distress on Shirley because of their actions. The courts may award Shirley compensatory damages for invasion of privacy. Consequential damages could also be awarded for defamation and emotional distress. The defendants are subject to suit based on the "minimum contacts" statute. This states that as long as there is any...