Libel is defamation where the false statement is fixed to tangible media.

Libel is defamation where the false statement is fixed to tangible media.

• A. False
• B. It requires damages for liability
• C. It applies only to oral statements
• D. True

Answer: (C)

Libel is written defamation—false statements fixed in a tangible medium, such as print, a written document, or a permanent online post. That fixed form is what separates libel from slander, which covers spoken defamation. Because the statement is about libel being tied to a fixed medium, it is true. The idea that libel applies only to oral statements is incorrect, since the defining feature of libel is the written (or otherwise fixed) nature of the statement, not its speech. Damages can be a separate issue in defamation cases, but the key point here is the fixed medium.

Libel is written defamation—false statements fixed in a tangible medium, such as print, a written document, or a permanent online post. That fixed form is what separates libel from slander, which covers spoken defamation. Because the statement is about libel being tied to a fixed medium, it is true. The idea that libel applies only to oral statements is incorrect, since the defining feature of libel is the written (or otherwise fixed) nature of the statement, not its speech. Damages can be a separate issue in defamation cases, but the key point here is the fixed medium.