There are a variety of recognized defenses to defamation claims. The first is that the allegedly defamatory statement is true. The other defense is that the communication may fall under the privileged communications clause of the law. In other words, such communications are generally not subject to defamation actions. This is especially important for communication between legislators, judges, attorneys, and individuals involved in a lawsuit.

Defamation is a type of tort that results from false statements about an individual. By law, any statement that is false is defamatory, but if the statement is true, the defendant cannot prove it. This defense is not applicable to defendants who are in the media. Defamation cases can involve statements made by employees about their co-workers. However, an employer may make such statements in the context of discussing the employee with management.

Defamation claims can also result in a job-seeker filing a lawsuit. A prospective employer must be told about the information in a person's personnel file and explain the negative job reference that was given. However, the plaintiff must republish the statement in order to prove that it was true. This exception does not apply to employers who haven't compelled the plaintiff to publish the statement.

The next common defense to defamation is the fair report privilege. In New York, the court has codified this privilege. If a speaker makes a statement that is "fair and accurate" and is true to a large extent, the statement may not be deemed defamatory. It is possible to defeat a fair report claim if the speaker had the intention to say something wrong, but this is rare.

Absolute privilege is another defense to defamation that allows publishers to avoid liability. Under this privilege, statements made in the public interest are exempt from a person's right to privacy. However, the plaintiff must prove the elements of defamation before the plaintiff can recover damages. So, what are the defenses to defamation? They are as follows:

First, the plaintiff must prove that the defendant acted in a negligent or irresponsible manner. This standard is higher than actual malice or negligence, but lower than the latter. The court considers the state of mind of the defendant at the time the statement was published.

There are a number of defenses to defamation, but there is no such thing as a "false rumor" in the case of libel. Defamation occurs when someone makes a false statement that damages a person's reputation. Defamation is a civil wrong, and the defendant can use several defenses to defamation. Among them are:

Conditional privilege is a common defense to defamation lawsuits. The defendant must genuinely believe that the statement is true. However, this protection is not absolute and the defendant can still be found guilty of defamatory speech if they know it is false. The defendant's belief in the truth can be reasonable, but it must also be relevant to the plaintiff's interest. This can be a business or personal relationship.