411.060 Action for libel -- Privileged communications

411.060 Action for libel -- Privileged communications.

The publication of a fair and impartial report of any proceeding before any state or city

legislative or executive body, board or officer, or the whole or a fair synopsis of any bill,

report, resolution, bulletin, notice, petition, or other document presented, filed, or used in

any proceeding before any state or city legislative or executive body, board or officer,

shall be privileged, unless it is proved that the publication was maliciously made. The

publication of a fair and impartial report or the whole or a synopsis of any indictment,

warrant, affidavit, pleading or other document in any criminal or civil action in any court

of competent jurisdiction shall be privileged, unless it is proved that it was published

maliciously, or that the defendant after request by the plaintiff has failed to publish a

reasonable explanation or contradiction thereof, giving the explanation or contradiction

the same prominence and space as the original publication, or that the publisher has

refused after request by the plaintiff to publish the subsequent determination of the

proceeding. This section shall not authorize the publication of any indecent matter.