A journalist for a national newspaper publishes an article accusing a software engineer of deliberately introducing security vulnerabilities into the company's software to sabotage its performance. The article leads to public outrage, and the engineer is fired. The claims in the article are later proven to be false. The engineer sues the journalist for defamation. Which of the following must the engineer establish to succeed in their claim for defamation?
A false statement of opinion, public dissemination, malice, and causation of emotional distress.
A defamatory statement of fact, written retraction by the defendant, and evidence of public knowledge of the statement.
A statement of fact, intent to harm, publication to a third party, and significant financial loss.
A false and defamatory statement of fact, publication to a third party, fault amounting to negligence, and harm to reputation.
To succeed in a defamation claim, the plaintiff must prove specific elements, including a false and defamatory statement of fact, publication to a third party, fault amounting to at least negligence on the part of the defendant (for a private figure), and damages resulting from the statement. The engineer also needs to prove that the statements harmed their reputation. The other answers include requirements that are either irrelevant or incorrect interpretations of defamation law. For instance, while malice is essential in certain cases involving public figures, it is not required for a private individual like the engineer.
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What constitutes a false and defamatory statement of fact?
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What does 'publication to a third party' mean in defamation cases?
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What does 'fault amounting to negligence' entail in this context?