A person’s interest in his reputation is protected by the tort actions for “libel” and “slander,” collectively called “defamation.”
Libel vs. slander:Libel is caused by a written statement, and slander is caused by an oral statement. Most of the rules governing the two tort actions are identical.
Defamation generally: To establish a case for either libel or slander, P must prove:
Defamatory statement: A false and “defamatory” (i.e., reputation-damaging) statement concerning P;
Publication: A communicating of that statement to a person other than P (a “publication”);