Topline
Fox News and its Fox Corporation parent company do not need to issue a formal apology to Dominion Voting Systems or have show hosts address false voter fraud claims under the terms of a massive financial settlement the two sides reached Tuesday, according to a Fox Corp. spokesman, in an 11th hour move that averted a highly anticipated defamation trial.
A billboard truck drives outside Fox News headquarters in New York City on March 7, 2023. (Photo by … [+]
Key Facts
Fox reached an agreement with Dominion on Tuesday to pay the voting machine company $787.5 million to resolve Dominion’s defamation lawsuit, which accused Fox of recklessly promoting false election fraud claims after the 2020 presidential election, including conspiracy theories suggesting Dominion’s voting machines were somehow rigged against former President Donald Trump.
Fox News issued a statement after the settlement acknowledging “the Court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false,” before immediately pivoting to claim: “This settlement reflects FOX’s continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards.”
Dominion attorney Stephen Shackleford asserted at a news conference following the settlement announcement that “money is accountability and we got that today from Fox,” though the Dominion team ignored questions shouted from reporters asking whether billionaire Fox Corp. chairman Rupert Murdoch had issued a personal apology.
The New York Times and CNN were first to report that Fox’s settlement doesn’t require an on-air apology.
Crucial Quote
“Fox has admitted to telling lies about Dominion that caused enormous damage to my Company, our employees, and our customers,” Dominion CEO John Poulos said Tuesday. “Nothing can ever make up for that.”
Key Background
Dominion filed the case against Fox in 2021, claiming Fox News—through comments made by its heavily watched show hosts—damaged its brand. The company asked for $1.6 billion in damages. Fox attorneys repeatedly rebuffed the claims, saying the hosts were performing their journalistic duty to investigate fraud claims Trump made, while calling the lawsuit an attack on the free press. Adding to the intrigue around a trial was the strong possibility top Fox figures like Murdoch, Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity might have been called to testify, with Bloomberg reporting last week Dominion intended to tap Murdoch as its second witness. Dominion repeatedly made court filings suggesting top Fox News hosts didn’t believe fraud claims but aired them anyway—one filing revealed Carlson sent text messages calling the fraud assertions “insane” and “absurd,” and another showed Murdoch conceding some high-profile Fox News hosts had endorsed false voter fraud claims even as he insisted the company didn’t back the theories.
What To Watch For
Fox faces a similar lawsuit from voting machine company Smartmatic, which is seeking $2.7 billion in damages. Smartmatic’s lawsuit claims Fox News broadcast a trove of lies about the company, such as that it was founded in Venezuela (it began in Florida), it operated machines in six states during the 2020 election (its machines were only in Los Angeles County) and it conspired with Dominion to rig the 2020 election (the companies did not communicate as they were rivals).
Further Reading
Fox News Settles Dominion Defamation Case For $787.5 Million, Dominion Lawyer Says (Forbes)
Rupert Murdoch Expected To Testify In Dominion Case Early Next Week, Report Says (Forbes)
Here Are The Most Explosive Comments Fox News Stars—Carlson, Ingraham, Hannity—And Murdoch Made Off-Camera About Trump And The 2020 Election (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2023/04/18/fox-news-wont-have-to-apologize-for-airing-dominion-lies-in-7875-million-settlement/