Amy Jacobson, a former reporter at NBC-owned station WMAQ in Chicago, has lost an appeal in her lawsuit against CBS, reports Robert Feder. An Illinois appeals court ruled against Jacobson in her defamation suit against CBS-owned station WBBM, in a case involving video shot of Jacobson that led to her firing from WMAQ:
As a reporter for NBC-owned WMAQ-Channel 5 in July 2007, Jacobson was covering the disappearance of Lisa Stebic, a suburban wife and mother. A camera from CBS 2 captured Jacobson wearing a bikini in the presence of the missing woman’s husband, Craig Stebic, identified as a person of interest in the case. Jacobson was there on her day off with her two children.
Soon after CBS 2 aired the videotape, NBC 5 fired Jacobson, who was a 10-year veteran of the station. Jacobson sued CBS for defamation, invasion of privacy and other claims.
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The court found Jacobson was a public figure, and that CBS had no malice in airing the video.