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For a defamation claim to be successful, one essential requirement is that the statement in question must be published, meaning it has to be communicated to at least one person other than the person being defamed. This element is crucial because defamation involves harming someone's reputation by spreading false information, and if the statement is not shared with others, it cannot have the effect of damaging the individual's reputation within a community or society.

While written statements are often involved in defamation cases, spoken statements can also qualify as defamatory if they meet the necessary criteria. The requirement regarding the speaker being a government official or the plaintiff needing to be a public figure pertains to specific contexts within defamation jurisprudence but is not a general requirement for all claims. Consequently, the key aspect of publication is what fundamentally differentiates a defamation claim from private slander or mere opinion that does not reach a broader audience.