Because a central point in Fox News’ reporting was the fact that the voting machine manufacturer Dominion is said to have played a key role in this contrived scam. Fox News knew this was a lie, but it still spread the misinformation.
This is evidenced by numerous chat logs and other documents that have become public in the course of this case. Dominion Voting Systems has sued Fox News for defamation, presenting ample evidence that clearly shows the news network spread the lies about the ratings. Those responsible and moderators knew that these are conspiracy myths at best, but still gave Trump supporters a lot of broadcasting space – and explicitly supported these untruths themselves.
Fox News didn’t have a chance to dismiss the lawsuit
It was also clear to experts that Fox News was heading for a disaster here, because the facts were overwhelming. Dominion Voting Systems originally asked for $1.6 billion in damages, and the odds of getting that money were slim.
This certainly explains why there was an out-of-court settlement shortly before the start of the main hearing in this case. How CNN reports, Dominion attorney Justin Nelson said in a press conference that they have settled out of court with Fox News. The broadcaster, which belongs to the Fox Corporation of Australian-American entrepreneur Rupert Murdoch, will therefore pay $787.5 million in damages. In such cases, it is usually explicitly emphasized that an out-of-court settlement does not mean an admission of guilt. But Dominion doesn’t think about it. As Nelson said, “More than two years ago, a torrent of lies swept Dominion and election officials across America into an alternate universe of conspiracy theories, causing severe damage.”
Fox also had little choice but to sheepishly admit that they lied: “We acknowledge the court’s rulings calling certain allegations about Dominion false,” the company said in a statement (via Reuters). But already in the following sentences there were the next statements that can be seen as stretching the truth: “This agreement shows that Fox continues to be committed to the highest journalistic standards. We hope that our decision to settle the dispute with Dominion amicably , instead of engaging in a bitterly fought process, allows the country to overcome these problems.”
See also: Murdoch in court – My Fox News lied about Trump being voted out
trump, Donald Trump, US President, President, White House, US Election, US Elections, US Elections 2020, USA 2020
