Final answer:
Defamation is a true statement involving a false claim that harms someone's reputation and it includes both libel and slander. Public officials must prove 'actual malice' to claim defamation, whereas private individuals have slightly different standards depending on state law.
Step-by-step explanation:
Defamation is indeed a false statement about a person or organization that injures their reputation. This is true. Defamation includes both libel (written defamation) and slander (spoken defamation).
In the landmark New York Times v. Sullivan case, the Supreme Court established that public officials must show that defamatory statements were made with "actual malice" - meaning with knowledge of their falsity or with reckless disregard for the truth - to secure a judgment for damages.
Furthermore, the Court's decision in Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc. allows states to decide their liability standards for defamation against private individuals, provided that no liability is assigned without fault and only actual damages are awarded if the standard is less than actual malice.