Legal Definitions - defamacast

A defamacast refers to the act of harming someone's reputation by making false statements about them through a television or radio broadcast. It is a specific form of defamation, which is the broader legal term for damaging a person's good name or standing through false communication.

Here are some examples illustrating a defamacast:

• Example 1: A local radio station's morning show host falsely claims that the owner of a popular bakery uses expired ingredients and unsanitary practices, leading to a significant drop in the bakery's sales and customer trust.

  Explanation: This constitutes a defamacast because the false statements about the bakery owner's business practices were communicated to a wide audience via a radio broadcast, directly harming the owner's professional reputation and livelihood.

• Example 2: During a live television news report about a recent protest, a reporter mistakenly identifies an innocent bystander as one of the protest organizers who was arrested for inciting violence, showing their face on screen. The individual subsequently faces public backlash and harassment.

  Explanation: This is an example of a defamacast because a false accusation (being an organizer arrested for inciting violence) was broadcast on television, causing damage to the bystander's reputation and subjecting them to unwarranted negative attention.

• Example 3: A late-night television talk show features a guest who tells a fabricated story about a well-known public official, falsely alleging that the official misused public funds for personal gain, causing widespread public outrage and calls for the official's resignation.

  Explanation: This scenario illustrates a defamacast because the false and damaging statements about the public official's conduct were delivered to a large audience through a television broadcast, directly impugning their integrity and professional standing.