![]() Rupert Murdoch is a ruthless media mogul who has always used his money and blackmail tactics to lord over people (see PBS Frontline 2012 documentary " Murdoch’s Scandal"). $787.5 million is the biggest ever payout in a media libel case but it will not deter Fox-which, in an effort to calm the markets, announced right after the settlement that it will get a more than $200 million tax break from the payout (business expense) and that it is asking for a $1 increase per cable subscriber, which will yield them some $980 million more in profit. Rupert Murdoch is a ruthless media mogul who has always used his money and blackmail tactics to lord over people In the final quarter of 2022 Fox reported earnings of $4.61 billion. Punitive damages are aimed at deterring egregious conduct. Here actual malice (knowledge of falsity or reckless disregard of truth) is easily shown: beyond the damning emails, there is audio of a Trump official talking with a Fox Producer acknowledging that there was no evidence of fraud (see Amy Goodman interview with Angelo Carusone, democracy now.org, April 21, 2023) thus obliterating Fox’s defense of neutral reporting, showing that Fox was actually in cahoots with team Rump in spreading known lies. Still, the payout will not deter Fox from continuing its venomous, reckless and profitable practices, leaving us misinformed and divided.ĭefamation is an intentional tort and punitive damages are available. Most importantly, the discovery phase of the lawsuit was not muzzled (put under seal), so it is a matter of public record that Fox knew it was lying to its viewers regarding rigged voting machines flipping votes to Biden, and more. Yes, it’s the largest-ever payout to settle a media defamation lawsuit, and yes, it will help the subsequent libel claims against Fox for amplifying and validating the Big Lie. ![]() ![]() ![]() Admittedly, Fox’s settlement with Dominion Voting Systems has benefits as well as drawbacks in establishing accountability for ill-motivated journalism. ![]()
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