Exam 20: Defamation

Charles, a weight lifter, sues Greg for slander when Greg tells Charles that he "obviously takes illegal steroids."________

Who has an absolute privilege to defame?

Actual malice must always be proven by any plaintiff who sues the media for defamation.

What is a public official?

What is a public figure? What two kinds exist?

What is a SLAPP suit?

Publication is an element of libel or slander. When does publication occur?

In a suit against the media by a public official or public figure, what must be proven if the defamatory statement pertained to a matter of private concern?

Extrinsic facts are needed only for statements that are defamatory on their face.

Extrinsic facts may need to be pleaded in the colloquium of the complaint to establish that the defamatory statement was of and concerning the plaintiff.

What is fair comment, and when does it prevent liability for defamation?

When do those who merely deliver or transmit the defamatory statement, such as bookstores, become liable?