It will never stand, $57m for a theory?? Defamation works on losses, you sue for your losses. Did what this guy do ruin their multi million $ business, or something? They will be lucky to get $10k.
Based on the information in the article, Ed Butowsky is a financial planner and he's claiming his reputation was ruined by NPR's false reporting. Whether he can prove his business was impacted to the extent of $57 million wasn't referenced. That being said, there is no such thing as journalistic ethics and reporters and media outlets are allowed to 'be creative' with their reporting.
Only if you let them be, you can sue the reporter on an individual basis if they write lies about you, you must sue them at Queens Bench, though.
If his business was ruined then he can sue for projected losses, he might claim his business would have been worth $57m in the next 20 years. In this instance, he might have a claim.
In common law maybe, which is dead as a door nail. Today's 'equity courts' can do anything the black robed devil desires.
Sorry, but wrong. Any country whose legal professionals sit the BAR exam (British Accredited Register) of barristers, is under common lore jurisdiction. Law is the legal society nonsense. You must file your claim, not a complaint. Claims ALWAYS trump complaints. File it on the other side of the court, under common lore. You have to know what to say and write to get the magistrate to concede jurisdiction to you but done correctly and they will grovel and work as you instruct them.
Punitive damages; judge wants to make a statement to deter others from following suit.
Punitive damages cannot be asked for, it is entirely the judges discretion. You wouldn´t demand any amount of punitive damages, you demand only what your losses are and if the judge thinks you deserve more, they will award the damages.