fair comment
Justified public opinion
Fair comment is a legal defense against defamation claims, protecting opinions on matters of public interest when based on true facts.
A critic who pans a restaurant or a columnist who criticizes a politician's policies can invoke fair comment: The review was harsh but qualified as fair comment.
The defense requires that the statement be recognizable as opinion rather than presented as fact.
- opinionSubjective personal belief
- editorialPublication's official viewpoint article
- public interestSocietal welfare and benefit
- honest opinionTruthful personal assessment
- justifiedShown to be right
legal defense · defense lawyer · criticism · burden of proof · court ruling · media law · reasonable · op-ed · newspaper column · privilege · malice · truth · freedom of the press · debate · reporting · dissent · newspaper · columnist
fair commentdefamation
False statements harming reputation
libel · slander · defamatory statement · actual malice · character assassination
fair commenthatchet job
Deliberately damaging criticism
smear · hit piece · cheap shot · low blow · mud-slinging
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