A form of publication which tends to cause one to lose the esteem of the community is defamation. This is injury to reputation. A person can be held liable for the defamation of another. In order to prove defamation, the plaintiff must prove:
- that a statement was made about the plaintiff's reputation, honesty or integrity that is not true;
- publication to a third party (i.e., another person hears or reads the statement); and
- the plaintiff suffers damages as a result of the statement.
Slander is a form of defamation that consists of making false oral statements about a person which would damage that person's reputation. If one spreads a rumor that his neighbor has been in jail and this is not true, the person making such false statements could be held liable for slander.
Defamation which occurs by written statements is known as libel. Libel also may result from a picture or visual representation. Truth is an absolute defense to slander or libel.
Some statements, while libelous or slanderous, are absolutely privileged in the sense that the statements can be made without fear of a lawsuit for slander. The best example is statements made in a court of law. An untrue statement made about a person in court which damages that person's reputation will generally not cause liability to the speaker as far as slander is concerned. However, if the statement is untrue, the person making it may be liable for criminal perjury.
If a communication is made in good faith on a subject in which the party communicating it has a legitimate right or interest in communicating it, this communication may be exempt from slander liability due to a qualified privileged.
The following form letter demands that someone cease making libelous or slanderous statements, or appropriate legal action will be taken.
Libel And Slander In Journalism In Bronx
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Multi-State
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Bronx
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US-00423BG
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FAQ
A slander of title will generally occur where one maliciously seeks to disparage another's interest to property, to make it unmerchantable, by recording an instru- ment whereby the maligner purports to have some interest in the property.
The most common defenses to defamation are: 1) truth; 2) consent; 3) privilege; and 4) the statute of limitations. Perhaps the most distinct aspect of the defamation cause of action is that falsity is required. In other words, the statement publicized about the plaintiff must be false in order to prove defamation.
Opinion as a Defense to Libel and Slander A defendant can win if a reasonable person would believe that their defamatory statements were statements of opinion. In making an opinion, a defendant should not act with: Reckless disregard for the truth; or. Actual malice against the plaintiff's reputation.
Defamation is a statement that injures a third party's reputation. The tort of defamation includes both libel (written statements) and slander (spoken statements). State common law and statutory law governs defamation actions, and each state varies in their standards for defamation and potential damages .
Defenses in Cyber Libel If the imputation is true and is made with good motives and justifiable ends, truth can be a complete defense. Good faith publication in matters of public interest (e.g., commentary on the conduct of a public official) can also fall under this defense.
TRUTH is one libel defense. Remember that it is very difficult to prove truth. FAIR COMMENT is another libel defense.
To win a defamation case, the following elements must be proven: Falsity: The statement made must be false. Publication or Communication: The statement must have been made known to third parties. Malice: The statement must have been made with malice or ill intent.
In general, pursuing a defamation lawsuit may be worthwhile if: The defamatory statement(s) are demonstrably false and have caused significant harm to your reputation or career. You have strong evidence to support your claim. The potential damages are substantial enough to justify the costs and risks of litigation.
The plaintiff bears the burden of proving that the harmful statements are false. By examining whether the defendant's statement would have an effect different from a proposed statement by the plaintiff, courts test whether a statement is false.
