ABSTRACT
Libel may be defined generally as a publication or broadcast that is injurious to the reputation of another. Libel includes defamatory material that is expressed in print, pictures, or signs or is broadcast by radio, television, or cable communications media. Gillmor and Barron define libel as “a defamatory, false, malicious, or negligent publication that tends to hold a person up to hatred, contempt, or ridicule, causing him or her to be shunned or avoided.”1 Essentially, libel changes the way an individual is viewed by others. In the United States, there is no single definition of libel, because each state and the District of Columbia define libel for their own jurisdictions. Fortunately, the definitions are similar, which allows for general characteristics of libel to be deduced.
