What does Fox say?
In a letter submitted by Foxthe company believed that it was broadcasting the claims of rigged voting machines because they came from a sitting president and people close to him and were therefore newsworthy.
“An attempt by a sitting president to challenge the election results and overturn the outcome of his re-election bid is as newsworthy as it gets,” the filing said. “Media outlets across the country and the world thus provided extensive coverage and commentary on the president’s allegations and lawsuits.”
Fox claimed that “Fox News kept its promise to fully inform and provide fair commentary,” adding that “Some anchors viewed the president’s claims with skepticism; others looked at it with hope; everyone recognized that they were very newsworthy.”
The network claims it covered Dominion’s denials and gave the company the opportunity to tell its side.
“In short, Fox News did exactly what the First Amendment protects: it ensured that the public had access to newsmakers and newsworthy information that would help promote “uninhibited, robust and wide-open” debate about rapidly developing events of unprecedented importance. ” the court file Fox’s lawyers said.
Fox also claims that “Dominion’s lawsuit is an attack on the First Amendment and the free press.”
Who is expected to take the stand?
According to the Associated pressCarlson, Hannity and Murdoch are expected to testify. Many also believe Pirro, Scott and former host Lou Dobbs will also take the stand.
Can you watch it on TV?
No cameras will be allowed, according to Delaware court policy, and the judge recently denied a request from media companies to broadcast audio clips.
What are the possible outcomes?
If Fox loses, the company will likely have to pay out a large payout, its stock price could take a hit and its reputation would be damaged. Fox News has argued that if it loses, the case will damage press freedom and the First Amendment.
“Free-flowing, robust American discourse depends on First Amendment protections for the newsgathering and reporting of the press,” a Fox Network spokesperson said in a statement to the press. New York Times.
If Dominion loses, it would not only uphold the extremely high bar for media defamation, but it could prompt Fox News and other networks to broadcast even more falsehoods in the future.
“If Fox loses, the company is saying there are limits to propaganda, to lying on television, to misinforming your viewers,” said Jay Rosen, a professor of journalism at New York University. CNN. “If Fox wins, it actually says the opposite: there are no limits.”
Whatever happens in the Dominion lawsuit, it is far from the end of Fox News’ troubles. In 2021, Smartmatic, a global technology company based in London, has also filed a $2.7 billion defamation lawsuit to Fox News and Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, Trump’s former lawyer Rudy Giuliani, and Dobbs.
The lawsuit came after the network aired a series of false claims about Smartmatic voting machines and the 2020 election. About a month ago, the New York State Supreme Court ruled Manhattan gave the go-ahead to allow the Smartmatic case to proceed.