Final answer:
Slander is verbal defamation of character. Media can publish negative information without facing slander or libel charges if done without actual malice. Public figures have to prove actual malice or reckless disregard for the truth in order to win a defamation suit.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term associated with torts that is described as verbal defamation of character is slander. Defamation is a statement that injures a third party's reputation. The tort of defamation includes both libel (written statements) and slander (spoken statements).
To constitute defamation of character, a claim must be false and must have been made to someone other than the person defamed. The media can publish negative and harmful stories without being sued for slander or libel if they do so without actual malice, meaning they did not know the information was false or did not act with reckless disregard for the truth. Courts have set a higher standard for public figures, who must prove that the statement was made with actual malice or reckless disregard for the truth, as established in landmark cases like New York Times v. Sullivan (1964).
However, the right to freedom of expression still has limits, and defamation that can cause loss of reputation and income is not protected by the First Amendment. Opinions, especially in editorial content, are generally protected from libel and slander claims because they are not presented as factual assertions.