Ramsey County History – Spring 1966: “Minnesota’s Early Libel Laws”

Minnesota’s Early Libel Laws
Author: Henry H. Cowie Jr.

Early Minnesota libel laws put a brake on the excesses of early journalism. The first state Supreme Court libel decision in 1860 held that accusing an editor of stooping low enough to “steal children’s diapers from the clothes line” was libelous. An 1884 case ruled it libelous to call a lawyer a shyster. An 1885 statute made certain libels criminal, while an 1887 statute made retractions a partial defense. These and other legal developments moved Minnesota journalism toward its modern era, but “undoubtedly led to lowering reader interest in the editorial pages by raising the standard of their contents.”
PDF of Cowie article