The "actual malice" standard for libel against public figures does not require that something be said for the purpose of causing harm. It has nothing to do with

The "actual malice" standard for libel against public figures does not require that something be said for the purpose of causing harm. It has nothing to do with the ordinary dictionary definition of the word "malice". Rather, it requires that the statement be either knowingly false, or made with reckless disregard for the truth. Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actual_malice http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Actual_malice