Why the Dominion Suit Matters (Smartmatic too!)

[Dill]

(04-18-2023, 05:03 PM)pally Wrote: Right before opening statements, the case was settled.  It's a damn shame the world needed to hear what Fox has done.

I agree. In the end this may be the best possible outcome for Fox. 

Fox did not admit to lying. They acknowledge "certain claims about Dominion to be false," not that they platformed those claims unchallenged, knowing they were false, following their "commitment to the highest journalistic standards." Steven Shackleford, a Dominion lawyer on Erin Barnett just now, says they didn't demand Fox admit the lie on air because they had "already proved it."  Framing it this practically insures most Fox viewers will never learn the truth directly. Shackleford says Dominion "trauma" was the reason they accepted the settlement.

I'm disappointed with some of the MSNBC commentators on this. A few realize this settlement may incentivize Fox to evaluate the costs of the lawsuit vs the benefit of keeping their audience--and so to change little in their "business model."  But many seem to think Fox has "learned its lesson."  NO I say. That misses how Fox actually works, subverting journalistic norms and incrementally constructing alternative narratives. 

On the other hand, this must be a nightmare for their liability insurers. Could that force some adjustment to the model? It is the largest libel settlement in history.

Now I am interested in whether anything actually changes inside Fox. Were I Murdoch, and committed to his values, I would fire a junior executive and perhaps an editor (people out of the public eye), but keep the stars who lied. Judge Pirro was on "the Five" this afternoon, going as strong as ever. 
The Fox audience, groomed to stay away from real journalism, will likely hear little of how Tucker described Trump as a danger, and how Laura and Sean never believed the BIG LIE for a second while giving air time to conspiracy theorists without challenge. Tucker and Sean have both done "in-depth" interviews with Trump in the last week. They're back on the elect Trump bandwagon, giving him a platform which enhances his lies. 

"Time to move forward" Fox now says:

https://www.npr.org/2023/04/18/1170339114/fox-news-settles-blockbuster-defamation-lawsuit-with-dominion-voting-systems

"We acknowledge the Court's rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false . . . . This settlement reflects FOX's continued commitment to the highest journalistic standards. We are hopeful that our decision to resolve this dispute with Dominion amicably, instead of the acrimony of a divisive trial, allows the country to move forward from these issues."