Tuesday’s historic, eleventh hour settlement between Fox Information and Dominion Voting Programs for a whopping $787.5 million for defamation was justice for Dominion, which Fox hosts had baselessly smeared to sow doubt within the 2020 presidential election outcomes.
“Over two years in the past, a torrent of lies swept Dominion and election officers throughout America into an alternate universe of conspiracy theories inflicting grievous hurt to Dominion and the nation,” mentioned Dominion lawyer Justin Nelson. “Right this moment’s settlement of $787.5 million represents vindication and accountability.”
He additionally declared, “The reality issues. Lies have penalties.”
Relating to journalism, the reality ought to matter. And spreading knowably false lies most definitely ought to have penalties — Fox Information having to pay out practically a billion {dollars} is inarguably one.
Individuals are additionally studying…
(And don’t overlook, Fox can be being sued by Smartmatic, one other voting methods firm that alleges it was defamed, for a staggering $2.7 billion.)
However will a community that has determined to recklessly site visitors in and promote lies, junk science, and unfounded conspiracy theories, and purposefully omit and warp the reality to maintain its viewers rabidly tuned in, really feel in any respect chastened by what can solely be described as an unequivocal and unprecedented smackdown.
Whether or not Fox Information cares about its popularity or its backside line, this case ought to give prime brass 787.5 million causes to desert its mannequin of pushing low-calorie, high-outrage MAGA crimson meat on the expense of info.
Even with out an embarrassing trial, the pre-trial depositions revealed that Fox executives and hosts knowingly lied to viewers, and platformed irresponsible company like Rudy Giuliani, Mike Lindell, and Sidney Powell, who they knew to not be credible. “Tons of loopy,” one Fox communications exec texted a colleague about an interview between Maria Bartiromo and Powell.
Anchors like Bartiromo, Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, and Jeanine Pirro’s deceptive infotainment antics have severely broken the outlet’s journalism model, which has lengthy been in stress with its prime time, pro-Trump lineup.
However outwardly, at the least, Fox appears nonplussed, virtually ignoring the story by itself airwaves, and issuing a comically blasé assertion within the wake of the settlement.
“We’re happy to have reached a settlement of our dispute with Dominion Voting Programs. We acknowledge the court docket’s rulings discovering sure claims about Dominion to be false. This settlement displays Fox’s continued dedication to the very best journalistic requirements. We’re hopeful that our choice to resolve this dispute with Dominion amicably, as a substitute of the acrimony of a divisive trial, permits the nation to maneuver ahead from these points.”
However “these points” — election lies — have been bread and butter for Fox, which actively refused to permit the nation to “transfer ahead” from an election that was neither stolen nor rigged, as former President Donald Trump and Fox hosts have insisted.
The election denialism is clearly the largest and most sensational lie Fox has pushed lately. But it surely’s hardly the one one. And others have been simply as pernicious.
The household of Seth Wealthy, a Democratic staffer, sued Fox and settled in 2020 for spreading vile conspiracy theories about his still-unsolved homicide.
“The settlement with Fox Information closes one other chapter in our efforts to mourn the homicide of our beloved Seth, whom we miss each single day,” the Riches wrote in an announcement. “We…sincerely hope that the media will take real warning sooner or later.”
In fact, Jan. 6, 2021 proved Fox had discovered no such lesson. Fox anchors have minimized and misled concerning the lethal revolt, with Carlson airing an absurd and extremely edited video of Trump supporters on the Capitol, insisting they had been merely “sightseers,” conveniently leaving out scenes of the violence.
In reality, the household of Police Officer Brian Sicknick, who died following the riot, has begged Fox and Carlson to cease the “ongoing assault on our household by the unscrupulous and outright sleazy so-called information community.”
Way back to 2011, Fox allowed then citizen Trump, different company and hosts to advertise unfounded conspiracy theories about former President Barack Obama’s start certificates.
Fox has been caught a number of instances manipulating and doctoring photos and movies to raised swimsuit a story.
Then there have been the numerous COVID conspiracy theories Fox let its hosts and company push, together with the pro-Putin propaganda that comrades like Carlson have parroted. Carlson, specifically, has been such a daily offender that Fox’s personal legal professionals have argued viewers shouldn’t belief him to site visitors in info.
However given simply how endemic conspiracy theories and mis-information appear to be to Fox’s information operation and viewer retention efforts, does anybody actually consider that paying out $787.5 million — roughly 19% of Fox’s $4 billion in cash-on-hand — goes to essentially change the best way they do enterprise or report the information?
You possibly can depend me a skeptic.
S.E. Cupp, conservative columnist, is the host of “S.E. Cupp Unfiltered” on CNN.