Legal Definitions - libel of review

Libel is a defamatory statement expressed in a fixed medium, such as writing, pictures, signs, or electronic broadcasts. It is classified as both a crime and a tort, but it is no longer prosecuted as a crime. The act of making such a statement is called publication of defamatory matter by written or printed words, by its embodiment in physical form, or by any other form of communication that has the potentially harmful qualities characteristic of written or printed words.

• A newspaper publishes an article accusing a politician of taking bribes. If the accusation is false and harms the politician's reputation, it could be considered libel.
• A blogger writes a post claiming that a restaurant serves food contaminated with bacteria. If the claim is false and harms the restaurant's reputation, it could be considered libel.

These examples illustrate how libel can occur in various forms of media and can harm a person or business's reputation. It is important to be careful when making statements that could be considered defamatory and to ensure that they are based on accurate information.