'PD Notebook' cleared in damages suit over U.S. beef report

The Supreme Court on Wednesday cleared producers of TV network MBC’s investigative program, “PD Notebook,” from having to compensate a group of viewers for airing inaccurate information.

Justice Yang Chang-woo said the claims for damages did not have merit since the plaintiffs did had no connection to the content of the program.

“The program targets a random audience and the pain they feel is strictly subjective. However, regulating TV reports for a random and unidentifiable audience will hinder the TV programs’ rights to express and create public opinion,” he said.

The case was initiated in 2008 by a group of about 2,400 people who watched the April 29, 2008 episode of the program suggesting that those who consume U.S. beef could contract mad cow disease.

The plaintiffs argued that they suffered in various ways, including traffic jams caused by street rallies against U.S. beef imports that were sparked by the program.

They also said they were dragged into arguments with their friends and colleagues about the accuracy of the report, which caused enormous stress. They asked for 1 million won ($870) in compensation each.

In 2008, a local court said the program had some translation errors and partially incorrect information that could mislead people. MBC apologized for the mistakes in August 2008.

By Bae Ji-sook(baejisook@heraldcorp.com)