Outlook Publishing (India) Pvt Ltd has sent a legal notice to News Laundry Media Private Limited for a fallacious report suggesting that Outlook does not support journalists in litigation arising from articles published in the magazine. The legal notice from the publishers of Outlook makes it clear that the magazine has a “long-standing legacy and tradition of fully supporting their journalists and reporters” and that the magazine takes prides in standing up for their journalists and providing them with the necessary support, financial and otherwise, with regard to any litigation.
In an article published on November 19, News Laundry had quoted journalist Neha Dixit as saying that the magazine was not in touch with her, “let alone helping her with legal or travel expenses” on a case in the Guwahati court pertaining to a report published in Outlook in 2016.
The legal notice from Outlook notes that it was always willing to provide legal and financial assistance to the journalist to jointly deal with the litigation, and that it was the journalist who had decided to hire her own advocate to defend her. “Even today, Outlook is willing to support the journalist defend herself in the said matter jointly and to bear all the financial expenses for the journalist in the event the said journalist is interested in doing so,” says the notice.
The notice goes on to state that the article headline is clearly defamatory and have been published only to create sensationalism. It also refutes the allegation in the article that the Publisher and the previous Editor of Outlook never appeared before the Court in the matter. Outlook’s legal notice also identifies a trend of incorrect articles in News Laundry about Outlook and demands an apology for the latest one, without which it will be forced to take legal action.
