THE WIRE SERVICE LIBEL DEFENSE

Local news media can safely republish defamatory stories furnished by reputable wires services on the basis of the ''wire service'' libel de fense. The powerful, but often neglected, libel defense has been appli ed to at least twenty reported cases in thirteen jurisdictions. Its su ccess rate has been almost 100 percent. From the First Amendment persp ective, the wire service defense, which has its genesis in Layne v. Tr ibune Co. (1933), adds considerably to free debate as an additional we apon for the press to tackle meritless libel suits.