What is Defaming?
Every day you're exposed to tons of information about people---news, rumors, gossip and jokes. Yet, little you read or hear, no matter how outrageous it is, earn the label "defamation" and end up in court.
Other People Are Reading
-
Effects
-
Defaming is to make a false statement about a person to a third party that subjects the person to shame, ridicule, contempt or condemnation. It could also cause the person to lose employment, income or his good name and reputation.
Types
-
"Libel" is defamation that's published (books, newspapers, magazines) or broadcast (radio, TV, the Internet). "Slander" is spoken defamation.
-
Deceased Victims
-
You can't defame the dead because a man's reputation dies with him. The deceased person's family may suffer, but they have no recourse unless the defamatory statement directly implicates and damages them.
Public Figures
-
Public figures such as celebrities and politicians must meet a higher standard and prove "actual malice" in defamatory statements because their lives are open to scrutiny and public debate. However, a "public figure" may be deemed anyone whose behavior has attracted general attention, even on a limited basis.
Defense
-
Truth is an absolute defense against defamation charges because facts are not false statements. Proving that a possible defamatory statement is only your opinion may also beat a defamation charge in some jurisdictions.
-
