Slander vs Defamation
Defamation has become a household word because of so many defamation suits being filed against celebrities these days. Deliberate vilification of a person to gain personal benefit or fame through written or spoken facts that are false or made up is referred to as defamation. Trying to paint a negative image of an individual by making disparaging remarks about him through spoken words or written text is defamation. There are other words for this act such as slander and libel that have also become common these days. However, people forget that slander is a type of defamation and talk of these two concepts in the same breath as if they are interchangeable. Let us take a closer look.
Defamation
Defamation is the act of making false statements about a person that can cause him harm either by bringing him disrepute or by falsely implicating him in act or behavior that may be derogatory to his image or reputation. If, someone expresses his views or opinions about another individual through written text and the facts presented are not only false, but they are also malicious in intention, the act is still defamation, but this is a special type of defamation that is called libel. It is when the act becomes verbal, the act of defamation becomes slander.
Defamation is an act that is considered to be a crime and punishable by law. If you feel someone has spoken wrong and insulting words about you, you can take civil action against him and file a case of defamation against him.
Slander
Slander is the act of defamation that one uses against you through a speech that is false and tries to bring harm to your reputation. Verbally maligning another person without any truth and with bad intention is an act of defamation that is called slander and is liable for punishment.
What is the difference between Slander and Defamation?
• Trying to differentiate between slander and defamation is to differentiate between Ford and car as slander is a type of defamation.
• Defamation is the act of making statements against an individual that are false and malicious and spoken to damage his reputation.
• Slander is the use of spoken words for defamation whereas the act becomes libel when defamation is sought to be achieved through written or published statement that is false.
• Slander is using false and malicious language through spoken words whereas libel is defamation through written words.