Coals of Fire: The Alton Telegraph Libel Case

by Thomas B. Littlewood, Rodney A. Smolla (Foreword)

In 1980 the Alton Telegraph of Madison County, Illinois, was mortally wounded by a $9.2 million damage award for a story it did not even print. In the role of investigative reporter, Littlewood gives deep background on all concerned in the libel suit. He looks at the people, the factions of the town, the county. Reputed to be a plaintiff’s paradise, Madison County, he points out, frequently leads the nation in damage awards of $1 million or more. The case involved an investigation of the rumored Mafia connections of a local savings and loan association and a young builder. At the request of federal investigators, two reporters for the Alton Telegraph wrote a confidential memo to representatives of the U.S. Department of Justice reporting their unverified (and unpublished) information. Thus the damage suit. With the jury verdict, the only alternative for the owners of the newspaper was bankruptcy

248 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1988

Reviews

[Amanda D. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a very interesting read although I found it difficult to follow at times. I couldn’t always remember the terminology and the who did what pieces which made it difficult to understand some of the references. It was definitely a challenge to keep people straight and I had to make sure I was able to give my full attention when reading otherwise I would have no idea what was going on.