The prohibition against holding a publisher responsible for an inference drawn upon an inference remains unchanged notwithstanding developments in modern media communications; the application of defamation principles must keep up with media techniques but the principles themselves are not relaxed. Where a publisher deletes a name from a broadcast, this does not of itself constitute an invitation to speculate widely enough to make the publisher responsible for whatever conclusion may be reached; more indication is required. Statutory provisions deeming electronic media publications to be in permanent form do not affect the transient nature of such publications for the purpose of determining what imputations they are capable of conveying.
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