Question

Speech consisting of a false statement that harms someone's good reputation will:

a) Always be protected as free speech.
b) Be classified as political speech.
c) Not be protected under defamation law.
d) Be protected as long as it's a joke.

Answer 1

Speech consisting of a false statement that harms someone's good reputation will not be protected under defamation law.

Step-by-step explanation:

Speech consisting of a false statement that harms someone's good reputation will not be protected under defamation law.

Defamation of character, whether in written form (libel) or spoken form (slander), is not protected by the First Amendment. If someone lies about you in writing or speech, you can sue them and collect monetary damages for defaming your character.

This protection applies to both private individuals and public officials, although public officials must meet a higher legal standard to collect damages.