Fox News has abruptly agreed to pay more than $1 billion over allegations it promoted misinformation about the 2020 US election.
It’s one of the highest publicly known defamation settlements in US history.
The settlement with election technology company Dominion Voting Systems was the latest twist in an extraordinary case that has exposed the inner workings of the powerful Murdoch-owned conservative news network.
Dominion, in addition to the huge payout, exacted a statement from Fox News that “certain claims” it made about the company were not true.
This case is just one of many launched against Fox and its friends.
Two years ago, reporter Sarah Ferguson investigated how Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News promoted Donald Trump’s propaganda and helped destabilise democracy in America.
This week Four Corners has decided to re-air that special investigation in light of the Dominion settlement.
Fox will no longer be scrutinised through a trial, so this is the complete story.
The big lesson here is don’t get caught…. Hear me out.
Here are two rules that will stand people well.
Rule 1: Don’t stand between the proprietor and “their” money and influence.
Rule 2: Don’t write certain things down, even privately, because you’re just creating evidence for passing lawyers to profit off
Carson and co. knew the rules and were paid very well to play by them. That evidence, which these guys so helpfully created, turned into an AUD billion payday, at the Murdoch family’s expense.
Whilst the swift execution of Tucker Carson’s career is a good headline, grab the popcorn folks, the Fox News hierarchy won’t survive allowing this behaviour, by which I mean leaving cookie trails so they got caught. Once the repercussions have digested themselves through he food chain, you’ll see “Bill O’Reilly/Tucker Carson III” with the same old job description: “say or do whatever is needed to keep Fox at the news cycle’s centre with maximum influence over the politicians including the White House, whilst attracting maximum revenue. Don’t get caught”.