通過對媒介法律顧問、記者、編輯、媒體管理者的訪談以及近20來年的媒體名譽權案件的分析，陳曉彥的《媒體與名譽侵權》發現：大部分媒體名譽權官司原告為普通公民，在案件討論中側重於損害的名譽的救濟而不是言論自由的爭論。同時，商業化的媒體*多地注重自身經濟利益訴求和成本核算而不是看重普遍的言論自由權利的拓展。從自身經濟利益和成本考慮，名譽權官司使得媒體*嚴謹對待報道和報道者的權益，反倒有利於促進媒體報道的真實和媒體倫理的發展，從一定程度上說，有利於言論而不是鉗制言論。並且，從整個名譽權法律的設計和具體司法實踐中名譽權案件的處理來看，中國名譽權法律的設計本身沒有對言論的鉗制和懲罰設置，而具體司法實踐對名譽權官司的處理中，主要目的也是用來保護名譽權和為名譽損害提供救濟，無論是原告還是法院都較少利用名譽權官司本身來懲罰言論。

FOREWORD
PREFACE 1
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 5
The Nature of the Law of Defamation and Its Development
The Law of Defamation in China 9
Research Questions 12
Source Materials and Method 13
Organization 18
CHAPTER 2 THE EVOLUTION OF DEFAMATION LAW IN CHINA 22
Defamation law in imperial China 22
Free speech in traditional China 26
The approach to balance sedition punishment and free speech 29
Defamation law in late Qing and the republican China 33
Legal rejuvenation of protection of reputation 33
Constitutional protection of freedom of expression 38
Public opinion supervision and the law of defamation 42
Conclusion 46
CHAPTER 3 LEGAL FRAMEWORD OF DEFAMATION IN CHINA 48
Elements of Defamation 48
The reputation of the victim has been harmed 49
Defamatory statements 49
Publication 53
Harm to reputation 54
Causality exists between the illegal act and the harm to reputation 57
Subjective fault 59
Parties 63
public figures 64
The deceased 68
Media and media-related defendants 70
Jurisdiction 71
Defenses 71
truth 72
privilege 74
The right to criticize 77
Remedies 79
stoppage of infringement 79
rehabilitation of reputation and elimination of adverse influence 80
apology 81
damage 82
Conclusion 84
CHAPTER 4 MEDIA ENVIRONMENT IN CHINA 87
Changing Media Landscape 87
earlier history 87
emergence of non-party media 89
media commercialization 91
Legal and Political Pressures on the Media 94
media ownership 94
licensing 98
screening 100
forbidden content 103
personal management system 106
Party Journalism and Media Corruption 108
Coffclusion 112
CHAPTER 5 DEFAMATION LITIGATION AGAINST THE MEDIA.
AN OVERVIEW OF COURT-PUBLISHED CASES 115
Source Materials and Method 115
Overall Trend 121
Plaintiffs 128
ordinary persons 132
allegation of criminal/illegal activity and official report privilege 133
exposure of personal details and privacy protection 135
allegation of moral failings and the use of insulting words 137
allegation of unpopular behaviors or subjecting the plaintiff to ridicule 139
professionals 140
famous persons 142
government officials and government entities 145
relatives of the deceased 149
corporate plaintiffs 153
Defendants 155
party newspapers and non-party newspapers defendants 155
internet defamation 157
Remedies 162
non-monetary remedies 162
damages 165
Defenses 170
truth/falsity 174
official report privilege 178
opinions/academic debate and freedom of expression 180
Conclusion 185
CHAPTER 6 DEFAMATION LITIGATION IN A LEADING MEDIA CITY:
THE CASE OF CHENGDU 188
Media Environment in Chengdu 188
Source Materials and Method 191
Overall Trend 194
the coming of defamation litigation against the media 194
explosion of defamation litigation against the media/author 202
the outcome of defamation suits against media(author)defendants 205
Plaintiffs 211
ordinary persons 212
corporate plaintiffs 221
public officials and government entities 225
relatives of the deceased 230
professionals .232
Defendants 234
Remedies 241
non-monetary remedies 241
monetary compensation 243
Defenses 250
Conclusion 254
CHAPTER 7 DEFAMATION, THE MEDIA AND FREE SPEECH 257
Defamation Litigation Suppresses the Media? 258
Greater Protection to the Media in Defamation Expands Free Speech? 266
Conclusion 270
The Future of Chinese Defamation Law 274
criminal defamation 275
public figures 278
fact versus opinion 283
APPENDICES 287
REFERENCES 290