Libel: n. willfully and fraudulently stealing the good reputation of a human(s) and/or organization with an untrue recorded public communication(s)
If someone untruthfully writes that you are a liar, a thief, an adulterer, a fraud, or a drug addict and publishes this then they have committed a fraud and can be punished for it in a court of law with a fine. Organizations are sometimes also falsely accused of being liars or frauds and the cases have been brought to court and adjudicated.
Scandal publications can print untruths, lies, or hearsay about public figures and politicians and sometimes get away with it because libel laws sometimes exclude untrue publications about celebrities. Some lies are so outrageous that no one takes them seriously. One scandal sheet published that Dick Cheney is a robot on the front page. The lie is so outrageous and maybe even entertaining that no one takes it seriously and it does not constitute libel.
Defamation or slander can also be verbal lying but frequently a public apology, retraction, or an admission to making a mistake frequently gets the offender pardoned and they are not prosecuted in a court of law for lying.
Businesses, organizations, and corporations are also interested in maintaining a good reputation and if a major publication libels them and it severely affects their reputation then they are frequently sued in a court of law.
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