‘Honest opinion’ in Footy Show defence

Channel Nine and The Footy Show hosts Sam Newman and Garry Lyon will use the defence of “honest opinion” to fight a defamation case brought against them by Western Bulldogs director Susan Alberti.

Dr Alberti was one of five club directors Newman described as “liars and hypocrites” after they wrote a letter of complaint to Channel Nine about Newman’s mannequin skit.

The women were branded liars because they had included Collingwood board member Sally Capp as a signatory to the letter despite Garry Lyon claiming she did not want to be part of it.

In documents filed with the Supreme Court, Nine, Newman and Lyon claim the comments were honestly held opinions, based on “substantially true” facts, and related to a matter of public interest. “The conduct of the presenters of The Footy Show in regard to the portrayal and treatment of women, and the reaction and conduct of other people following the broadcast … attracted widespread media interest and debate,” they said.

But Dr Alberti said this week that the “facts” relied on to form the opinion she was a hypocrite were “a gross distortion”.

During a broadcast of The Footy Show Lyon singled out Dr Alberti saying, “What we found hard to work out is that she went out a week later and bought two tables at an auction to The Footy Show and rang the office here … and demanded those tables be up the front.”

Dr Alberti, who claims to have never rung the show’s office, said she had purchased tables at fund-raisers and given them to other charities to auction.

Source: The Age