Fox News is defending itself in a defamation lawsuit brought forth by Dominion Voting Systems, claiming that it aired claims of rigged voting machines because they came from a sitting president and people close to him. The network argues that the claims were newsworthy and that it fulfilled its commitment to inform fully and comment fairly. Fox News alleges that Dominion’s lawsuit is an assault on the First Amendment and the free press. Key figures from Fox News, including Tucker Carlson, Sean Hannity, and Rupert Murdoch, are expected to testify in the trial.
The trial will not be televised, as per the Delaware court policy, and the judge recently denied a request to broadcast audio excerpts. If Fox News loses the lawsuit, the company will likely face a significant payout, damage to its reputation, and a potential hit to its stock price. The network argues that if it loses, it would also harm press freedoms and the First Amendment. On the other hand, if Dominion loses, it would uphold a high bar for media defamation and may encourage networks to continue broadcasting false information in the future.
This Dominion trial is not the only legal challenge Fox News is facing. Smartmatic, a global technology company, has filed a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit against Fox News and several individuals, including Maria Bartiromo, Rudy Giuliani, and Lou Dobbs. The lawsuit stems from false claims made by the network regarding Smartmatic voting machines and the 2020 election. The New York State Supreme Court recently allowed the Smartmatic case to proceed. The outcome of these trials will have significant implications for Fox News and its future coverage.
In summary, Fox News is defending itself in a defamation lawsuit brought forth by Dominion Voting Systems, claiming that it aired claims of rigged voting machines because they were newsworthy. The network argues that it fulfilled its commitment to inform and comment fairly, while Dominion alleges that Fox News spread false information. Key figures from Fox News are expected to testify in the trial, although it will not be televised. The outcome of this trial, as well as the pending Smartmatic defamation lawsuit, will have significant consequences for Fox News and the future of press freedoms.
