[spoonjim]

So if I genuinely think you murdered a baby I can publish articles saying you did, with no legal consequence?

[xadhominemx]

Yes, that is the definition of defamation in the United States

[colinmhayes]

yes, if you can prove that you genuinely believe it.

[spoonjim]

In the US that standard is only applied to public figures. For a private figure, the speaker can commit defamation if they do not exert reasonable care to ensure that the statement is true.

[xadhominemx]

No, the burden is not “exert reasonable care that the statement is true”

It’s much more relaxed: “cannot have acted negligently in failing to ascertain whether the statement is true”