NOT public concern: private figure no need actual malice for punitive/presumed damages.

• A. No need to show actual malice
• B. Actual malice is required
• C. Damages must be proven
• D. Publication must be to a large audience

Answer: (A)

In defamation, the required level of fault depends on who the plaintiff is and whether the challenged statement concerns a matter of public concern. When the plaintiff is a private figure and the issue isn’t of public concern, the plaintiff can recover damages—including presumptive (defamation per se) damages and, in some circumstances, punitive damages—without proving actual malice. The rule that you don’t have to show actual malice in this scenario is why that choice is correct. Saying that actual malice is required would overstate the standard for private figures on private matters; insisting damages must be proven ignores the possibility of presumptive damages; and requiring publication to a large audience isn’t a requirement for private-concern defamation.