[Avodah] newspapers and LH

[Liron Kopinsky]

The end of the 3rd perek of Megillah (25b) seems to say that if it is known
that someone is an adulterer that it is permissible to embarrass them in
public. When I learned this it was challenging to me for two reasons:
1) how do you find out in the first place, since presumably, it is lashon
harah to spread the news
2) even if you do hear the news, you are to assume it is not true anyway.

Unless I'm understanding the Gemarrah incorrectly, it seems that there are
some halachically permissible ways for spreading news about people in this
way. (Obviously if there is a case of other people being endangered by said
individual, it would be okay.) Maybe newspapers are not exempt from hilchot
lashon harah, but due to their larger readership can find it easier to
justify "benefit" of their words?
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