A defamation settlement over electoral fraud ‘stories’ means nothing if the channel goes on spreading lies
Put away the popcorn. The decision by Rupert Murdoch to spend $787.5m (£633m) to settle the defamation lawsuit brought against Fox News has allowed the media mogul to avoid having to take the stand and defend lies told on his television channel about the last US election. It’s an escape hatch. It’s also a massive humiliation.
As drama, Fox v Dominion would have been box office: a tale of truth and lies and almost limitless money and power that would have trumped any trial involving footballers’ wives, if not the fictional series about a powerful media mogul currently airing on a UK television channel once owned by Murdoch. Just to underline the entertainment value, one of the top Google search terms for “Fox and Dominion” just before the settlement was announced was, “Can I watch the trial for free?”
Jane Martinson is a Guardian columnist
