However, in this case of a radio broadcast, the defendant was charged with all three; slander, libel and defamation. This can be explained using the fact that the laws definition of these defamation facets, are too similar. Statements made on a radio broadcast, "are more fleeting than those in print – a characteristic of slander. But they are capable of very broad dissemination and usually involve premeditation – characteristics of libel" (Zelezney, 2011). Of course defamation laws encompass both torts, and stem back to early law and the right to protect one's reputation from attack (Zelezney, 2011). And also the issue of first amendment rights create an interesting interplay of defamation lawsuits, but this was not a problem until the 20th century. Despite the right to freedom of speech, when a person has nothing else, they have their reputation. So certainly, it is imperative to protect this aspect of a person, as any deviance from positivity can have major effects on all aspects of life. Therefore, being able to defend one's reputation in a court of law is a right that should be held by all. However, even though the courts have specified the two components of defamation, they hold varying weight in the courts.
Because slander can be transitory, and is spoken, it is entirely possible that the accusations were fabricated or the statement misconstrued, and for this reason it is harder to convince a court of slander. Libel on the other hand is the written, more solidified form of defamatory statements, in which intent must be considered. The case against Don Imus, should not have been incorporative of libel, as slander was the original tort, referring back to the example of squares and rectangles. Also it must be considered that intent cannot be determined and any written representations of his comments would be have been reaction articles or a news outlet covering the story, in which he would not be liable for that charge.
These false attacks are done through either libel or slander. ... Slander is the type of defamation that you hear. ... Once a statement is acknowledged, the identification of the person being attacked needs to be clearly recognized and broadcasted, either through libel or slander. ... The cyber law has many loopholes. ... Libel law on the Internet is assumed. ...
In the 1920's the government began passing regulatory laws and set up the Federal Communications Communion to monitor the broadcast media. Over the years, new laws have been passed and repealed, both in favor and in opposition of the media. ... Today the terms slander and libel have been created to combat yellow journalism. ... Because of the Atlanta Georgian and the Houston Press the government passed labor laws and forced factories to improve working conditions and wages. ... The media has also added federal commissions, libel and slander laws, the War Powers Resolution, labor laws and...
Among the obscenity category, are listed: "fighting words", Libel and Slander. ... Slander is the public utterance or speech that holds a person up for contempt, ridicule or hatred. Libel is a published false hood's that can injure a person's reputation or give question for their character. ... Speech of such that can immediately affect the person or their character is said to be slander. Slander is illegal, it violates the rights of the victim (or the one slandered) and so is void as an item of free speech. ...
Because of potential counter claims, the cost of prosecuting a law suit, proving actual malice and falsity of the statements that are being questioned, athletes rarely file defamation claims against the media. ... Professional athletes are the subject of increasing media attention. ... Defamation can be slander, which is made with spoken words, sounds, sign language, or gestures. Defamation in any other form, like in printed words or pictures, is libel. ... Their studies show that the media, especially social media, can be beneficial and also detrimental. ...
Examples of the second types of speech are obscenities, slander, libel, and "fighting words". ... However, this argument has not achieved status as a law. ... Although libel and slander can be obscene and can provoke anger like "fighting words", that is not why they were declared "worthless" in Chaplinsky. ... Libel is printed defamation, and slander is the spoken form. According to Freedom of Speech in the United States before modern broadcasting, libel was considered the more serious offense because slander could not be widely distributed among people. ...
STATE LIBEL LAW DISSES NEW YORK TIMES: TOP COP WINS The mighty have fallen! ... Alabama civil law concerning libels states that a publication is "libelous per se" if the words "tend to injure a person in his reputation" or "ring [him] into public contempt. ... At the outset, both the Alabama law and the Sedition Act of 1798 dealt with the right (or lack thereof) to criticize the government and public officials in the print media. ... The 1798 Sedition Act deals with such right as an issue of criminal law; Alabama law, as applied in the Sullivan case, dealt with the right to publish sta...
One restriction is no person has the right to libel or slander one another. The law prohibits the use of obscene words, the printing and distributing of obscene materials, and false advertising. ... Overall in the world America does have the most relaxed laws on freedom of expression. ...
