What Is the Difference Between Libel and Slander?

Question: What Is the Difference Between Libel and Slander?

Answer: In some states, such as Illinois, there's not too much difference between libel and slander. Both apply to defamation of character, an injury to a person's reputation from a false statement born of negligence or malice, yet libel is written and slander is spoken. The Associated Press Stylebook notes that "words, pictures, cartoons, photo captions and headlines can all give rise to a claim for libel." But some states, such as California, vary widely on their statutes that define and recognize the two terms.