Breaking: Fox News pays more than $787 million over its false broadcasting in the 2020 election

On Monday, April 18th, 2023, Fox News announced that it had reached a settlement with Dominion Voting Systems, the election technology company that was targeted by a false and defamatory campaign during the 2020 US presidential election. As part of the settlement, Fox News agreed to pay Dominion more than $787 million, effectively putting an end to a high-profile defamation lawsuit that Dominion had filed against the news network.

The settlement comes after months of legal wrangling between Dominion and Fox News. Dominion had accused Fox News of broadcasting numerous false and defamatory statements about its voting machines and software, alleging that the network had conspired with right-wing figures and politicians to spread baseless claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election. Dominion argued that Fox News had knowingly and maliciously spread lies about its technology in order to boost ratings and advance a political agenda and that these lies had caused significant damage to Dominion’s reputation and financial well-being.

Fox News, for its part, had vigorously denied the allegations and had vowed to fight the lawsuit in court. The network argued that it was simply reporting on a matter of public interest and that its journalists had been exercising their First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and of the press. Fox News also contended that it had acted in good faith and had relied on the statements of public figures and experts who had raised concerns about the integrity of the election.

However, in recent weeks, the legal tide had begun to turn against Fox News. Several key figures in the pro-Trump conspiracy theory ecosystem had admitted in depositions that they had no evidence to support their claims of voter fraud or election rigging and that they had spread these claims purely for political and financial gain. Meanwhile, a number of judges had dismissed similar lawsuits filed by other right-wing groups, noting that the claims of voter fraud had been thoroughly debunked and that the evidence presented in support of them was lacking.

With the settlement, Fox News has effectively admitted that it had no credible evidence to support its claims about Dominion and that it had broadcast false and defamatory statements about the company. The network will now pay an enormous sum of money to compensate Dominion for the damage it caused, effectively acknowledging that its reporting had crossed a line and had caused serious harm to an innocent company.

The settlement is a significant victory for Dominion, which had been targeted by a coordinated disinformation campaign that had spread false claims about its technology and had threatened its business. The company had argued that the lies had put it in danger, with its employees receiving death threats and its reputation taking a major hit. Dominion had also argued that the disinformation campaign had contributed to the January 6th insurrection at the US Capitol, with rioters believing that the election had been stolen and that they needed to take action to prevent a supposed fraud.

The settlement is also a significant blow to Fox News, which has long positioned itself as a defender of conservative values and a watchdog against the so-called mainstream media. The network’s reputation has already been tarnished by its coverage of the 2020 election, which was widely criticized for its lack of journalistic rigor and its willingness to promote falsehoods and conspiracy theories. The settlement with Dominion is likely to further erode the network’s credibility and its standing among conservative viewers.

Indeed, the settlement may represent a turning point in the ongoing battle over disinformation and propaganda in the US media ecosystem. For years, right-wing media outlets like Fox News have operated with relative impunity, spreading lies and conspiracy theories without facing any significant consequences. However, as the Dominion lawsuit shows, the costs of such behavior are beginning to mount. Companies like Dominion are no longer willing to sit back and allow their reputations to be trashed by media outlets that are more interested in advancing a political interest.