[Avodah] Exempt from Loshon Hara

[Cantor Wolberg]

I have a very interesting question for Avodah.  Is a newspaper exempt  
from loshon hara?
In other words, if a prominent Jewish person is charged with any  
crime, is the publishing
of the story by a newspaper loshon hara and/or rechilus?  Without  
going into specifics,
(otherwise I would be perpetuating the salacious story), if a  
prominent (or even average)
Jewish person were charged with having been involved in an adulterous  
relationship (whether
it was true or not) and it was put in the newspaper, is the newspaper  
guilty of loshon hara?

Also, would there be different standards if it were true or not true?

ri