Defamation Guide

Def

1. What is Defamation? Anything published that causes injury to a person or groups’ reputation. Defamation Laws are there to provide consolation to the aggrieved parties, who have had their reputation tainted. These laws can affect anyone involved with any type of publication; therefore it is vital to be aware of what defamation is and how to work within the set legislative boundaries. Obviously defamatory comments are published all the time, thus exemplifying how journalists and those involved in the media avoid being sued by ensuring all published work is meets the requirements of at least one of the defamation defenses. It is of the utmost important that one understands the implications of defamation and works within the guideline of the main defense margins. One may be sued for defamation even if: 1. The article was not written with intent to offend or defame; the court would only be interested with the fact that the article was intended to be published 2. The article purports to be reporting the truth, it still needs to be backed by one of the main defenses and evidence will be needed 3. The defamatory comment was merely a quote from another person; anyone involved in the publication can still be sued for it 4. The defamatory comment was not explicit. If it was a hidden comment it can be even more dangerous, innuendo is not exempt from defamation laws and these hidden messages can be hazardous as they may be interpreted as slander upon someone else