Amazing.
Yes, it can happen. I don't credit ethics. I credit plaintiffs.
Fox doesn't want to be sued again.
The clip is just over one minute. You will probably need to click the speaker-shaped sound icon at the bottom of the video screen to get sound.
Dominion, the voting tabulating machine company, settled a lawsuit with Fox for nearly $800 million. Smartmatic has a pending lawsuit seeking $2.7 billion. Like Dominion, they claim Fox left unchallenged defamatory statements about them that Fox knew were untrue. Fox hosts don't want to disturb their audiences with information that contradicts Trump. But the threat of lawsuits is a powerful incentive to do so anyway. It isn't journalistic ethics at work. Those failed Fox. Fox doesn't want another expensive judgement in favor of a plaintiff.
A preview of coming posts:
A lawsuit by an injured party — or fear of one — shapes behavior. I saw it first-hand in my career in the investment industry. I saw another example of it earlier this month, this time involving a controversial Medford law firm, the RISE Law Group. The law firm primarily does "family law," i.e. divorces.
Watching a contentious trial was a "bucket list" activity for me. It lasted eight days. The trial raised issues of fiduciary duty, reasonable fees, billing practices, collection practices against a client's unpaid bill, motions to require the recusal of judges, and reasonable activity by an attorney given the totality of the situation. The RISE law group partners argue they are providing good advocacy for their clients, but a partner acknowledged in court that the firm is subject to widespread criticism within the local legal community. Some controversial fee-generating things an attorney might do are beyond the ability of judges or professional organizations to stop; what the attorneys do might be perfectly legal. The remedy for the local legal community could be a sympathetic plaintiff with a strong case. Or maybe the case is not strong. That is why there was a trial.
I will be writing about this.
Fox News=Pinto gas tank
Time for a recall.
Excellent. One must wonder how Laura Ingram & other liars can continue their hateful & untrue "news" reporting while this massive lawsuit is pending. Fox entertainment doesn't seem very savvy at dodging large lawsuits while each broadcast becomes fodder for the plaintiff's lawsuit.