8 Comments
User's avatar
Joe Yetter's avatar

I'm somewhat disappointed, too. But it's arguable that Dominion was "made whole" -- the settlement was about 20 years of their net revenues (not profits), and I think it was about 6 months worth of Fox profits (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/fox-reports-fourth-quarter-fiscal-2022-revenues-of-3-03-billion-net-income-of-308-million-and-adjusted-ebitda-of-770-million-301603424.html) (profits are about 10% of revenues for Fox).

Our democracy was not made whole, but that's not what the suit was for, however much I wanted it.

The Sword of Dominion swung, and stung.

The Sword of Smartmatic (2.7B) still hangs.

Expand full comment
Judith Gail Cope's avatar

I couldn't agree more. When I heard on the radio that a settlement had been reached I said "What ??!!!!" (Supposedly Dominion had been insisting they were not open to a settlement.) In no way did Fox take full accountability for what they have done.

Expand full comment
Monette Johnson's avatar

Bravo, Peter Sage, your posts deserve distribution way beyond Oregon. I hope somehow that is happening beyond my own meager efforts forwarding to friends here in Minnesota and also California.

Expand full comment
Daniel Davis's avatar

Peter, I agree totally!The American people deserve an admission of guilt and an apology from faux noise for lying about the 2020 election and promoting the trumpkin big lie! The money is nice for Dominion, but what about the damage to our democracy, which is huge especially for fox watchers, who will likely never hear the facts and truth?

Expand full comment
Trish Hackett Nicola's avatar

I agree completely. So disappointed.

Expand full comment
Chirgwin's avatar

I would have liked to have seen a public apology for lying, broadcast on Fox, during primetime. The requirement should have required the apology to air multiple times. Do any of us expect Fox to change their policy of broadcasting a steady stream of misinformation in the future?

Expand full comment
Jon Elliott's avatar

As they say when comparing Fox News with a group of lawyers, "you have a dirty, rotten, scumbag, lying, and uncaring bunch of people, and the other is a group of lawyers."

I think many of us are facing the impulse that after seeing Fox run roughshod over decent journalism and the truth for years, and now there's a chance to get the upper hand, we want to give them a good, solid kick where it hurts.

We should resist the impulse and be glad Dominion won what it did.

Expand full comment
Jennifer Van Datta's avatar

NPR News mentioned that the response from shareholders of Fox, which is their main concern, may have an impact. It will be interesting to see what that looks like.

Expand full comment