Libel-Proof Your Writing

Charles DeLaFuente has been a journalist for nearly half a century, in a career capped by nearly 15 years at The New York Times. He began at suburban papers in the New York metropolitan area, followed by a stint at United Press International’s New York bureau. He then went to The New York Post, where he rose to night city editor. He left The Post soon after Rupert Murdoch bought it, and went to Cardozo Law School. He was a Law Review editor and graduated cum laude in 1981. He returned to journalism in Washington, at United Press International, then moved back to New York for two stints as a reporter and deputy metro editor at The Daily News, interrupted by a post as assistant managing editor at The Times Union in Albany, N.Y. After the second stop at The News, he became editor of The Record, in Troy, N.Y., then joined The Times in 1998. Most of his career there was as a staff editor on the metro desk. He has taught writing at law schools and law and journalism courses at undergraduate colleges. He also lectures on libel and on legal terminology at annual conferences of the American Copy Editors Society.