Defamation is best defined as which of the following?

Defamation is best defined as which of the following?

• A. False statements harming reputation.
• B. True statements harming reputation.
• C. Opinions presented as fact without basis.
• D. Public records about individuals.

Answer: (A)

Defamation hinges on false statements about a person that harm their reputation and are communicated to others as if they were facts. That combination of falsity and reputational damage is what makes a statement defaming. Truth is a defense, so a true statement—even if it harms someone—wouldn’t be defamation. Likewise, opinions are usually protected when they’re clearly presented as personal viewpoints rather than factual claims; they can become defamatory only if they are stated as facts about someone and are false. Public records themselves aren’t defaming simply by existing, since they’re records of information; defamation would depend on false statements about someone that are presented as facts within or outside those records.

Defamation hinges on false statements about a person that harm their reputation and are communicated to others as if they were facts. That combination of falsity and reputational damage is what makes a statement defaming. Truth is a defense, so a true statement—even if it harms someone—wouldn’t be defamation. Likewise, opinions are usually protected when they’re clearly presented as personal viewpoints rather than factual claims; they can become defamatory only if they are stated as facts about someone and are false. Public records themselves aren’t defaming simply by existing, since they’re records of information; defamation would depend on false statements about someone that are presented as facts within or outside those records.