Hi Ari, while everything you say is true and fine, there is one very troubling aspect of this: it will change nothing. Fox was not required to apologize to their viewers for their corrupt behavior. It is already emerging that they will be carrying on business as usual. 15% of one year's profits is less important to them than maintaining their cred with their viewership and that is what they will be doing. It will be more of the same regardless of the money.
Fox did not admit they lied. Their carefully worded statement acknowledged that a judge said they broadcast falsehoods. An acknowledgement that someone else said something is not an apology to anyone. An apology starts with the words "I/we apologize to....for having....." . If they had really apologized, it would mean something important: they would be actually admitting wrong doing before their audience. No such thing happened.
acknowledging that they broadcast falsehoods is admitting they lied. An apology is not the same thing as admitting a lie. An apology means you're sorry you told the lie. I dont care if Fox is sorry- they are not sorry. but I do care that they admitted they lied.
Unprecedented compared to what?!! It's all relevant. Have you noticed how campaign finance has gone from an extravagant couple million in the '90s to an extravagant couple billion today? Compared to when?! Unprecedented is over-used and irrelevant when 4 men in America own more wealth than 65% of the US population today. Justice delayed is still Justice denied. Madam 'UnPresidented" won nearly 3 million more votes over Trump than any white man in the history of the office. And it was also "unprecedented?" Made no difference, the bully minority got their way yet again. She had a 67% approval rating until a million bots of denigrating lies about her lowered her good reputation, every crime she was falsely accused of, with NO proof, never came true, lies never do. No one is "locking her up." just another lie. She lost the electoral because it's based on illegal, unconstitutionally rigged re-districting. The judicial system must change in order to ameliorate Justice delayed.
Madam Un-Presidented lost because of unprecedented misogyny and lies! And all these years later we are still STUCK WITH TRUMP! Lies matter! "The truth matters. Lies have consequences.” This world can not afford to be on "minority bully time" nor hear any more lies! The courts rulings did NOT suffice in my opinion, humble as it may be.
Fox “acknowledge[s] the Court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false." Acknowledge: To accept, recognize, confirm, or admit the existence or truth of something. So Fox says the Courts rulings are true-that Fox made claims about Dominion that were false. And they settled for an unprecedented amount which also gives credibility to their admission.
Without ever having to say what a single false claim by FOX was. FOX never even has to bring the subject up to their viewers ever again. The documents are forever closed never to see the light of day again. It's like the lawsuit and the malfeasance committed by FOX never even happened. The settlement is opened and shut in one day. Ari really dropped the ball on this one.
We wanted a quick fix. We wanted Fox to apologize, to admit guilt to consistently undermining facts and American institutions. We wanted Fox to change from a Leni Riefenstahl propaganda arm of an American fascist movement to an actual news organization. But it didn't and ain't going to happen as a result of one or more lawsuits. Lawsuits do not address moral or political deficiencies; they provide, as did the settlement here, monetary compensation for a demonstrated financial wrong. "Fixing" Fox presents a more intractable problem - a political problem - that requires daily vigilance at promoting facts as best one can in public discourse. That is a hard task and a slow task that may not succeed. We are a republic only if we can keep it - I am concerned that we can.
I totally agree! I am concerned as well but I am an optimist. I look at the past and what we thought was impossible to change has been changed. I lived through it and benefitted from the changes. But I have to admit, I never thought what we accomplished would be in such peril. I never thought people would reject progress. I never thought intelligent people wouldn't fall for propaganda and snake oil sales. I guess that is a flaw in human nature. We have to remain vigilant. We have to reinforce 'the better angels of our nature"
I agree. I was not comparing the 2. Based on what I have seen happen in my lifetime, I am optimistic that if we remain vigilant we will see justice move forward in this era of division. Optimism and hope gives people the power to move forward and effect change. Keep hope alive.
We might but it's wayyyyy tooooooo sloooooooooooooooow! We have no more time to still be going on "bully minority time." Same with global warming. Justice delayed is Justice denied!
I think you're right that it may mean nothing in respect of how Fox carries on in the future, but the one thing it does do, which is important, is to draw a red line between what is 1st Amendment Free Speech and Freedom of the Press and what is lies/defamation that will not be tolerated. People like Fox can carry on lying and defaming but they will pay. Others may think twice, so it does set some kind of precedent and may reduce the trafficking in falsehoods.
The way it should go - each and every broadcast that is selling fraud as usual should costs them. They should be fined because they helped cause an angry mob to riot & break into places that are sacred. Or should be. A lot of the people that are in those halls need to be held accountable as well. Listening to Gym & MTG speak - they are just yelling about things and saying Biden’s name. They are not working. They are working hard at pretending. I am still saddened that this is one party of our government - no longer gives a damn. Performance Art at its worst.
Àgree with you would have liked them admitted lying publicly They wiĺl still have their jobs/salaries When a child does something unacceptable they are taught not to repeat behavior such as not sharing we try to amend behavior Don't see that here They should publicly admit lying lose jobs if they don't or fox should start with new personnel to show they understand by actions The commentators had no accountability Much is undisclosed by not having a court case like Tucker and co testifying they are not going to be actively engaged iñ being held responsible for their actions One less yacht! Would like to see some of the money won donated to food pantries homes for homeless maybe vets etc There is a need that could be addressed in a meaningful manner. Legally it's big Maybe to others who follow this blueprint Fox still has more legal issues It's a step in showing our legal system works addressing the sharing of events in our democracy Perhaps will set the stage for authentic facts To stop ✋️ the danger of manipulated facts that have an agenda to Railroad the framework of government and democracy To realize how serious the selling of lies is the intent and where it can lead The engagement of theatrics is a voice we no longer can travel
I think that the settlement money is very much needed by Dominion. Their business is greatly affected in that red states will refuse to work with them. The idea that their business was harmed by the lies is the point that is very true.
Good morning Mark...your posts sums up the environment of the country for where we are at right now. I will add we’ve had a history of going to the next “thing”; but if we refuse to fall into that trap of....the Right/the main stream media/those woke people and a million other names that make no sense...keep this and or these issues alive we will get the results from this one and make it next to impossible to continue with lying for profit.
What about the harm done to the rest of this country? Frankly, I should have been awarded 2 million just for all of the blasphemous lies I've been subjected to on the nightly news for the last 6 years. I mean it! And I'm pissed!
May reduce the trafficking in falsehoods about entities that can afford to sue them. But they will continue to claim the election was stolen. And too many Republicans still believe them.
For now you're right. Not one FOX viewer has witnessed a single FOX anchor publicly confess in a broadcast of their own show to lying and spreading the "The Big Lie" deceiving their viewers who remain in the ignorant bliss that "Trump won by a Landslide." The lawsuit against FOX? That's just fake news.
I agree with you that nothing at Fox will change. The sad things is that Fox viewers didn’t believe they were lied to all these years. They will continue to be loyal viewers.
Nobody likes a loser, least of all these "sour grapes" far-right nut-wings like the biggest liar and humorless Tucker Carlson. Make him and the others confess on their own shows and present the evidence from court documents to their viewers, on their FOX shows and then force Murdoch to fire them. Only that will expose them for the losers they are when they are punished. Not the hefty fine Murdoch can easily pay and recoup by raising cable rates, over-charging and exploiting and deferring and passing along his payment making the poor pay it for him with his higher cable rates to cover his 787 million "losses." That just makes Murdoch and the far-right look like winners. Actually punish these people and then take them off the air. That will make them the losers they deserve to be. Right now Tucker is engaged in the Height of Absurd ironic Hypocrisy in some new presentation called "The Death of Comedy" which is nothing more than his usual covetous envy and sour grapes. We let this piece of you know what get away with this false crap?!! Get rid of the little b-st-d. Chuck him down the pan with the rest of these jealous malcontents. Ban Murdoch's empire from the media the same way Trump was banned from ever having a sham charity again. The only way to stop their constant disruption and harm is to silence them for their abuse and corruption of the air-waves. Silence them. Make Tucker go away and relegate him to the same place Lou Dobbs now resides: our past!
In the grand scheme of things, apologies in this case aren't necessary - emotionally gratifying, yes, but really not necessary. Are we expected to forgive them? And will Fox thank us? Absolutely not and no. But we'll have bragging rights any time we want, for all eternity, by throwing out their words and clips.
Yet, this doesn't end Fox's story. Ari, in today's show, scored two exclusives, one being Gerry Fillippatos (Abby Grossberg's attorney) who mentioned that several LE agencies contacted him in a preliminary recon about Fox. When Ari asked him was it for criminal, Gerry said, "Yes".
Those cretins had fun pushing lies after lies, after more lies, so I say, let's ALL have a good time. :)
An apology for abusing the trust of their viewers and admitting their errors is an important aspect of accountability, and unless there is accountability for such criminal behavior the whole edifice of law, order and democracy is vitiated. Then you will stop "having a good time" as you descend into a realm of deceit and fascism. Other countries have seen this kind of movie before and it would be salutary to learn from them.
I am in no way attempting to be snarky, BUT your 'woulda, shoulda, coulda' isn't realistic. Accountability, like Justice, comes in unexpected forms and I will celebrate every one.
E.g., we can bow down to the parents and journalists of Sandy Hook for getting the Truth Ball rolling. There's the nullification of Judge Aileen Cannon's rulings on Trump's Mar A Lago case by a panel of CONSERVATIVE judges. MTG got shut down and silenced for screaming lies against Swalwell and Mayorkas.
I agree with you that there are different forms of accountability including the ones you mention, and one could argue that Fox agreeing to pay 780 million is another such form of it; but I think it also "realistic" to acknowledge that for them this was the lesser of two evils and gets them off the hook in this case for about 15% of one year's net profits - much easier, less painful than looking at themselves in the mirror in broad daylight for all to see, and more importantly, doesn't foreclose their option to continue behaving exactly as they have been as long as they are willing to risk more such lawsuits. So is this a big win for sanity in the media? Big question.
I think the money actually circumvented justice and silenced the information the public was due. For now you're right. It does mean nothing. Not one FOX viewer has had to listen to a single FOX anchor publicly broadcast a confession to having lied to and spread "The Big Lie" to their viewers who remain in the ignorant bliss that "Trump won by a landslide." The lawsuit against FOX?! "That was just fake news! It's settled. FOX won!"
Even if FOX apologized to viewers on air NO viewer would have believed it. They all would have seen it as a type of “hostage” video. I live in rural MT. That’s the way people here think, and most of them watch FOX news or one of the other conservative channels.
I disagree. Force them to tell their own viewers they were lied to by FOX anchors and make them show the evidence of their own guilt as well and eventually you might not fix stupid but you can deflate their hostility on the right and shut them the Hell up. It worked in Germany.
For the most part, looking more broadly, we don't know the universe of which viewers would have believed what specific story-line these days - remember this is a battle for hearts and minds across the country, not just in rural Montana. I am inclined to expect that reactions would be all over the place, depending on numerous factors. I wouldn't accept that a small sample of rural Montana, true as what you say about them may be, represents the country as a whole. Regarding what media they watch, well, what to say, they are free to choose of course, but it should be clearly understood, based on our knowledge of world history, that one sure road to a fascist future consists of being swallowed-up in a sea of deceit and make-believe designed to de-stabilize and then displace rational fact-based thinking.
When it came to what they lied about - how their lies helped cause harm to a LOT of people. Jan6 people were spurred on for months & months. People lost their lives because of those lies. There were people who were doing their job(s) that had their reputation ruined because of these lies.
Hello to all my new friends! Ari, the rest of us were harmed by the sophistry that Faux ?News? engaged in. I think you should help us file a class action lawsuit! The Proof Is Out There!
I know the penalty is unprecedented, but to Fox corporation it is a drop in the bucket. They got brought to heel for a brief fleeting moment. The Fox show hosts will be more clever going forward- they dodged a bullet. It’s about ratings, money and playing to the Trump base. Their audience isn’t searching for the truth, they want a narrative that feeds their beliefs and their needs. While I think the Dominion legal team did a fantastic job for their client, Fox in the long run, by not going to trial. out-foxed ( sorry for this) the bigger issue which is a
Thanks for reading Diane. The Fox statement noted the court found they made false statements. Would a stronger admission of wrongdoing be worth more than, say, the kind of financial penalty the company had to pay?... I totally get people want more retractions, but in general, the civil court system works off financial payments, that's how it 'keeps score.'
All the settlement proved is that you can sell lies for profit and not be held adequately accountable. When ad dollars exceed penalties Fox wins and keeps their audience for future transgressions. No amount of positive testimony from your guests will cover the failure to hold Fox fully accountable. Dominion capitulated at the urging of Staple Street and their attorneys and you know it.
This is why we need judicial reform. All the damn courts ever want is money, even from innocent people they want you to plea bargain your innocence and agree to a 10,000 dollar fine and 10 years probation. Just demand a trial by jury and suddenly, suddenly the state drops all charges! If only more people knew about the biggest criminals in our country are lawyers and judges, using the law to break the law, they wouldn't so easily plea bargain their innocence away. Financial payments MA! Here's your damn "score" and you can kiss it! All lawyers are crooks and all judges are lawyers!
that's how the rich circumvent the rule of law, justice, and avoid punitive damages with time served by the Just Us. It worked for OJ and nothins changed. Forget about it.
And in the shortest amount of time, the civil court and Injustice, remains invisible and silenced once again. So long the press! Business as usual for the rich and powerful and corrupt. In no time all is forgotten and the fake news bots on social media just keep on brainwashing a nation of blind men who will never see while the sheep stay silent. The whole corporation should be fired and banned from broadcasting the way Trump was banned from ever participating in a charity again! NO JUSTICE!
"The truth matters. Lies have consequences.” I wrote about this in Ari's comments at the very start of Ari's blogs months before this lawsuit became public.
"When Evil is branded, it sharpens its weapons." The Iching
THIS JUST IN:
You may have heard about Dominion Voting Systems settling its case against Fox News for an historic $787.5 million this week after the network’s constant lies and malfeasance were exposed. Although this is a significant amount of money, it won’t deter Fox -- not when it has a secret weapon: cable carriage fees that come out of your pocket and paid its bottom line to the tune of over $1 billion!
And now Fox wants even more.
You might be surprised to know, Fox News has a dirty secret: It gets the vast majority of its revenue from these fees. But now we know that Fox is planning on making YOU pay its bills by demanding MASSIVE INCREASES of cable providers during their ongoing contract renewal negotiations. That’s right, Fox expects YOU to pay to cover up for its lies.
That is not the important thing. An apology wouldn't be sincere anyway. They had to pay the most ever in defamation case AND they admitted they lied. This case drew a line where media cannot cross without paying big time.
An apology with a confession, with evidence of the facts their involvement behind the scenes and broadcasted to their viewers is forced sincerity. Not one FOX viewer has had to listen to a single FOX anchor publicly broadcast a confession to having lied to and spread "The Big Lie" deceiving their viewers who remain in the ignorant bliss that "Trump won by a landslide." "The lawsuit against FOX?! That was just fake news! It's been settled. FOX won! Trump 2024!"
I think it would mean something to the employees at Dominion. Do they get any of the check? Are they being paid for having to deal with threats and/or loss of income? They certainly had plenty thrown their way. An apology would help but an apology AND and a major overhaul to their whole business model. An Apology does not help anything but it would speak volumes to whether they have any decency left. And the answer IS No Decency Found at Faux News.
Hi Pamela. It never crossed my mind how employees of these companies have suffered from threats from the MAGA crazies too. That was a great observation. 👍
Hey ladies, do you think axing Tucker Carlson was part of the Dominion settlement? Interesting! Somebody’s head had to roll! Wouldn’t surprise me if others aren’t coming. Also, Tucker went right back to lying, which can only be costly to FOX! It goes to show, nobody is above the ratings war; that your behind can be canned, even with 3 million viewers!
Hi Diva 👋 I just read that. Wow!!! I honestly thought they would continue business as usual. I am in shock right now but relieved. Hope that's a start. But with so many right wing extremist platforms, he will end up spewing his venom in one of those soon.
Our week begins with some good news. Hope it continues. 🙏
Briefly, I doubt if anyone will hire him, for his brand now is a financial powder keg. FOX reportedly, was sitting on a $4 Billion dollar profit. Dominion just took almost 25%, Smartmatic will definitely take another… AND there are others to come. Don’t care who you are, no one wants to lose half their profits, down the drain. He’ll do what everybody does, start a podcast, or devote more time to it, if he has one.
Talk soon. You, too, be well, and enjoy your week!🙏🏽❤️
After seeing what happened to Ms. Ruby & her daughter Shea - I figured they’d go after the others that way. When I saw a few minutes after the settlement the CEO thanked his employees. It would be nice if that means they will help employees out with SOMETHING. Thx V 😉
Your writing was spot on. I am glad it settled, the Fox case. It would continue to a Maga group would divide our country further. It was good to know finally some accountability. I also believe the clarity in providing a breakdown of what iyet to come.
the civil court did its thing outside of court, in the form of a quick settlement that informs the public of nothing. Ari, you're totally wrong this time. Divide our country further?! What a joke. Oooohhh, let's not let Justice (nothing more than a slap on the wrist) get in the way of keeping our country united! Seriously? Keep us all "united within the law!!!"
I am always grateful for your excellent reporting. I also appreciate that you often let an artist have a voice on your program. They have a lot to say about the state of our country. Gratefully, Julia Montrond
Ari, this $787.5 million settlement may have set quite a high bar and unprecedented precedent! And with this settlement representing a whopping 15% of their profit is quite a vindication for Dominion and represents accountability to a toon we have never seen or heard before in defamation suits! I’d say it’s just a matter of time before FOX NEWS is done with their other lawsuits in play like Smartmatic. Smartmatic’s $2.7 billion lawsuit is another lawsuit accusing FOX for defamation. Now that Dominion has paved the way with the unprecedented settlement from FOX and uncovered so much evidence, pray tell: what other damning and ruinous evidence shall Smartmatic’s legal team uncover!
Well I hope FOX will have to pay the full 2.7 billion and be required in the Smartmatic suit to fire all of it's hosts who lied? What are the chances of that?!! It's not enough. It's just not enough no matter how unprecedented Ari pretends that it is. It's not.
Superb coverage and explanations for the layman on your show, Ari. Thank you. Having said that, I wonder how many Fox viewers understand/care/will have their viewing habits changed -- OR how many MAGA-ites would not still vote for DJT despite it all. A lot still to be seen.....
It's not a surprise that this amount is unprecedented. I have to wonder how much this really hurts Fox or Murdock. I hope it does. But I wish the liars would have to publicly state that they lied. They need to say this directly to their viewers. Tucker and the rest should be fired. Ari, always great coverage!
You may have heard about Dominion Voting Systems settling its case against Fox News for an historic $787.5 million this week after the network’s constant lies and malfeasance were exposed. Although this is a significant amount of money, it won’t deter Fox -- not when it has a secret weapon: cable carriage fees that come out of your pocket and paid its bottom line to the tune of over $1 billion!
And now Fox wants even more.
You might be surprised to know, Fox News has a dirty secret: It gets the vast majority of its revenue from these fees. But now we know that Fox is planning on making YOU pay its bills by demanding MASSIVE INCREASES of cable providers during their ongoing contract renewal negotiations. That’s right, Fox expects YOU to pay to cover up for its lies.
Not one FOX viewer has had to listen to a single FOX anchor publicly broadcast a confession to having lied to and spread "The Big Lie" deceiving their viewers who remain in the ignorant bliss that "Trump won by a landslide." "The lawsuit against FOX?! That was just fake news! It's been settled. FOX won! Trump 2024!"
See what I did there? Turned it around?
See how easy that was! There's your alternative facts.
FOX’s STATEMENT: "We acknowledge the Court's rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false...”
The PROBLEM: “...the Trump-allied lies about the 2020 election, which were peddled primarily from Nov. 2020 to Jan. 2021 and fueled the insurrection...”
Because of the above, I am left unsettled about the Dominion outcome. Fox’s statement is so confusing, I had to read it several times, trying to find their admission of guilt. There is NONE! Even newscasters stumbled, when reading it. Comparing that statement to the identified problem for me, if not the country, leaves me unsatisfied. I acknowledge the award is unprecedented! But so is Fox News-their control of a political party, social issues, the insurrection, and us being held hostage to it all!
I found the statement to be clear. They admitted they lied regarding their claims about Dominion which were about stealing the election. We also have all the documents from the depositions of all the anchors involved admitting they knew as well. You will never get a big company like that to be direct or to be apologetic.
Yes, WE know that, Diane, but we’re not the ones to be reached. There are a lot of people still ignorant out there, being played by the MTGs, Trump, and those MAGA politicians. A lawsuit of this magnitude, that aided an insurrection, should have educated and clarified misinformation and disinformation embraced by a population of voters.
They would not believe it even if it was said on Fox. The statements about the case from Fox and Dominion are on actual news media and newspapers, online and print, not just cable shows. The depositions from various anchors and owner are also out there not just on cable. The important thing is not trying to get maga types to believe the truth but to hold media responsible while not intruding on the first amendment. Dominion did that. Also, there's Smartmatic and Dominion has several other lawsuits pending.
😂😂😂Diane, you are right, in all you say—in a world of RATIONALITY! “Actual news?…Newspapers?…Online print?…Readers?!” For people like US! MAGA types must be reached where they are, that’s why FOX (and others) do what they do. You can’t just discount 74 million people. Of course, that number has declined and continues to do so…slowly. Fox, having to admit their lies, on/in their forum, would have been beneficial, I think. And I’m looking forward to all the future cases involving Dominion and Smartmatic, as well.
It’s important to remember that so many maga’s don’t want to be reached. The emotional validation they get is worth much to them. Perhaps repetition may eventually break through to some, and the undecideds in the middle. Those are the important ones.
I feel the same way. No apology by the network??? Especially the main prime time liars. That should have been a part of the settlement. I'm so disappointed. 🤬
Fox will never change. They have settled so many lawsuits. Money is not a problem for them. Just part of their game.
Hi V! We’ll see how it goes. If people start to isolate them out, in some of these lawsuits, perhaps there’ll be a change. But the corporation has the deep pockets, so plaintiffs go after Rupert. Although money is no problem, after while, you get tired of paying. I believe Rupert’s goal is to destroy this country’s government, so he’ll continue to support their destructive medium.
Hi Ms Pamela! In the end, it’s always about the🤑. Investors had a different focus than us. As a Dominion investor, I CAN see the other side, because there’s that outside chance of one (or more), going in a different direction. And investors know: “pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered!”
Very true Ms. Diva! We have lives, they have..... how does money make people so stupid. They will throw away respect, decency, anything as long as the $$ is enough
Hi Ari, while everything you say is true and fine, there is one very troubling aspect of this: it will change nothing. Fox was not required to apologize to their viewers for their corrupt behavior. It is already emerging that they will be carrying on business as usual. 15% of one year's profits is less important to them than maintaining their cred with their viewership and that is what they will be doing. It will be more of the same regardless of the money.
Apologies mean nothing. They admitted they lied legally. And we have all the deposition documents that show the lies.
Fox did not admit they lied. Their carefully worded statement acknowledged that a judge said they broadcast falsehoods. An acknowledgement that someone else said something is not an apology to anyone. An apology starts with the words "I/we apologize to....for having....." . If they had really apologized, it would mean something important: they would be actually admitting wrong doing before their audience. No such thing happened.
acknowledging that they broadcast falsehoods is admitting they lied. An apology is not the same thing as admitting a lie. An apology means you're sorry you told the lie. I dont care if Fox is sorry- they are not sorry. but I do care that they admitted they lied.
Except that they did not acknowledge they broadcasted falsehoods. They acknowledged that a judge said they did. Not at all the same thing.
No Diane, it isn't.
Unprecedented compared to what?!! It's all relevant. Have you noticed how campaign finance has gone from an extravagant couple million in the '90s to an extravagant couple billion today? Compared to when?! Unprecedented is over-used and irrelevant when 4 men in America own more wealth than 65% of the US population today. Justice delayed is still Justice denied. Madam 'UnPresidented" won nearly 3 million more votes over Trump than any white man in the history of the office. And it was also "unprecedented?" Made no difference, the bully minority got their way yet again. She had a 67% approval rating until a million bots of denigrating lies about her lowered her good reputation, every crime she was falsely accused of, with NO proof, never came true, lies never do. No one is "locking her up." just another lie. She lost the electoral because it's based on illegal, unconstitutionally rigged re-districting. The judicial system must change in order to ameliorate Justice delayed.
Madam Un-Presidented lost because of unprecedented misogyny and lies! And all these years later we are still STUCK WITH TRUMP! Lies matter! "The truth matters. Lies have consequences.” This world can not afford to be on "minority bully time" nor hear any more lies! The courts rulings did NOT suffice in my opinion, humble as it may be.
Fox “acknowledge[s] the Court’s rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false." Acknowledge: To accept, recognize, confirm, or admit the existence or truth of something. So Fox says the Courts rulings are true-that Fox made claims about Dominion that were false. And they settled for an unprecedented amount which also gives credibility to their admission.
Without ever having to say what a single false claim by FOX was. FOX never even has to bring the subject up to their viewers ever again. The documents are forever closed never to see the light of day again. It's like the lawsuit and the malfeasance committed by FOX never even happened. The settlement is opened and shut in one day. Ari really dropped the ball on this one.
We wanted a quick fix. We wanted Fox to apologize, to admit guilt to consistently undermining facts and American institutions. We wanted Fox to change from a Leni Riefenstahl propaganda arm of an American fascist movement to an actual news organization. But it didn't and ain't going to happen as a result of one or more lawsuits. Lawsuits do not address moral or political deficiencies; they provide, as did the settlement here, monetary compensation for a demonstrated financial wrong. "Fixing" Fox presents a more intractable problem - a political problem - that requires daily vigilance at promoting facts as best one can in public discourse. That is a hard task and a slow task that may not succeed. We are a republic only if we can keep it - I am concerned that we can.
I totally agree! I am concerned as well but I am an optimist. I look at the past and what we thought was impossible to change has been changed. I lived through it and benefitted from the changes. But I have to admit, I never thought what we accomplished would be in such peril. I never thought people would reject progress. I never thought intelligent people wouldn't fall for propaganda and snake oil sales. I guess that is a flaw in human nature. We have to remain vigilant. We have to reinforce 'the better angels of our nature"
HUGE difference between optimism and Justice.
I agree. I was not comparing the 2. Based on what I have seen happen in my lifetime, I am optimistic that if we remain vigilant we will see justice move forward in this era of division. Optimism and hope gives people the power to move forward and effect change. Keep hope alive.
We might but it's wayyyyy tooooooo sloooooooooooooooow! We have no more time to still be going on "bully minority time." Same with global warming. Justice delayed is Justice denied!
Sadly I’m thinking it may mean nothing
I think you're right that it may mean nothing in respect of how Fox carries on in the future, but the one thing it does do, which is important, is to draw a red line between what is 1st Amendment Free Speech and Freedom of the Press and what is lies/defamation that will not be tolerated. People like Fox can carry on lying and defaming but they will pay. Others may think twice, so it does set some kind of precedent and may reduce the trafficking in falsehoods.
The way it should go - each and every broadcast that is selling fraud as usual should costs them. They should be fined because they helped cause an angry mob to riot & break into places that are sacred. Or should be. A lot of the people that are in those halls need to be held accountable as well. Listening to Gym & MTG speak - they are just yelling about things and saying Biden’s name. They are not working. They are working hard at pretending. I am still saddened that this is one party of our government - no longer gives a damn. Performance Art at its worst.
Àgree with you would have liked them admitted lying publicly They wiĺl still have their jobs/salaries When a child does something unacceptable they are taught not to repeat behavior such as not sharing we try to amend behavior Don't see that here They should publicly admit lying lose jobs if they don't or fox should start with new personnel to show they understand by actions The commentators had no accountability Much is undisclosed by not having a court case like Tucker and co testifying they are not going to be actively engaged iñ being held responsible for their actions One less yacht! Would like to see some of the money won donated to food pantries homes for homeless maybe vets etc There is a need that could be addressed in a meaningful manner. Legally it's big Maybe to others who follow this blueprint Fox still has more legal issues It's a step in showing our legal system works addressing the sharing of events in our democracy Perhaps will set the stage for authentic facts To stop ✋️ the danger of manipulated facts that have an agenda to Railroad the framework of government and democracy To realize how serious the selling of lies is the intent and where it can lead The engagement of theatrics is a voice we no longer can travel
I think that the settlement money is very much needed by Dominion. Their business is greatly affected in that red states will refuse to work with them. The idea that their business was harmed by the lies is the point that is very true.
I certainly hope you are right.
Good morning Mark...your posts sums up the environment of the country for where we are at right now. I will add we’ve had a history of going to the next “thing”; but if we refuse to fall into that trap of....the Right/the main stream media/those woke people and a million other names that make no sense...keep this and or these issues alive we will get the results from this one and make it next to impossible to continue with lying for profit.
That indeed is the hope and objective.
Exactly- and that is the important thing.
What about the harm done to the rest of this country? Frankly, I should have been awarded 2 million just for all of the blasphemous lies I've been subjected to on the nightly news for the last 6 years. I mean it! And I'm pissed!
May reduce the trafficking in falsehoods about entities that can afford to sue them. But they will continue to claim the election was stolen. And too many Republicans still believe them.
For now you're right. Not one FOX viewer has witnessed a single FOX anchor publicly confess in a broadcast of their own show to lying and spreading the "The Big Lie" deceiving their viewers who remain in the ignorant bliss that "Trump won by a Landslide." The lawsuit against FOX? That's just fake news.
WILL NEVER FORGET ARI, THE TELL TALE SCENE OF RUDY GIULANI,S LIES SHOWING THE WORLD HOW THE BLACK STAINS FLOWING DOWN HIS SCALP WAS BULLSHEETT.
I agree with you that nothing at Fox will change. The sad things is that Fox viewers didn’t believe they were lied to all these years. They will continue to be loyal viewers.
Nobody likes a loser, least of all these "sour grapes" far-right nut-wings like the biggest liar and humorless Tucker Carlson. Make him and the others confess on their own shows and present the evidence from court documents to their viewers, on their FOX shows and then force Murdoch to fire them. Only that will expose them for the losers they are when they are punished. Not the hefty fine Murdoch can easily pay and recoup by raising cable rates, over-charging and exploiting and deferring and passing along his payment making the poor pay it for him with his higher cable rates to cover his 787 million "losses." That just makes Murdoch and the far-right look like winners. Actually punish these people and then take them off the air. That will make them the losers they deserve to be. Right now Tucker is engaged in the Height of Absurd ironic Hypocrisy in some new presentation called "The Death of Comedy" which is nothing more than his usual covetous envy and sour grapes. We let this piece of you know what get away with this false crap?!! Get rid of the little b-st-d. Chuck him down the pan with the rest of these jealous malcontents. Ban Murdoch's empire from the media the same way Trump was banned from ever having a sham charity again. The only way to stop their constant disruption and harm is to silence them for their abuse and corruption of the air-waves. Silence them. Make Tucker go away and relegate him to the same place Lou Dobbs now resides: our past!
Hi, Mark ~
In the grand scheme of things, apologies in this case aren't necessary - emotionally gratifying, yes, but really not necessary. Are we expected to forgive them? And will Fox thank us? Absolutely not and no. But we'll have bragging rights any time we want, for all eternity, by throwing out their words and clips.
Yet, this doesn't end Fox's story. Ari, in today's show, scored two exclusives, one being Gerry Fillippatos (Abby Grossberg's attorney) who mentioned that several LE agencies contacted him in a preliminary recon about Fox. When Ari asked him was it for criminal, Gerry said, "Yes".
Those cretins had fun pushing lies after lies, after more lies, so I say, let's ALL have a good time. :)
.
An apology for abusing the trust of their viewers and admitting their errors is an important aspect of accountability, and unless there is accountability for such criminal behavior the whole edifice of law, order and democracy is vitiated. Then you will stop "having a good time" as you descend into a realm of deceit and fascism. Other countries have seen this kind of movie before and it would be salutary to learn from them.
Okay. Make Fox and all of its players apologize.
I am in no way attempting to be snarky, BUT your 'woulda, shoulda, coulda' isn't realistic. Accountability, like Justice, comes in unexpected forms and I will celebrate every one.
E.g., we can bow down to the parents and journalists of Sandy Hook for getting the Truth Ball rolling. There's the nullification of Judge Aileen Cannon's rulings on Trump's Mar A Lago case by a panel of CONSERVATIVE judges. MTG got shut down and silenced for screaming lies against Swalwell and Mayorkas.
We can agree to disagree, then.
I agree with you that there are different forms of accountability including the ones you mention, and one could argue that Fox agreeing to pay 780 million is another such form of it; but I think it also "realistic" to acknowledge that for them this was the lesser of two evils and gets them off the hook in this case for about 15% of one year's net profits - much easier, less painful than looking at themselves in the mirror in broad daylight for all to see, and more importantly, doesn't foreclose their option to continue behaving exactly as they have been as long as they are willing to risk more such lawsuits. So is this a big win for sanity in the media? Big question.
I think the money actually circumvented justice and silenced the information the public was due. For now you're right. It does mean nothing. Not one FOX viewer has had to listen to a single FOX anchor publicly broadcast a confession to having lied to and spread "The Big Lie" to their viewers who remain in the ignorant bliss that "Trump won by a landslide." The lawsuit against FOX?! "That was just fake news! It's settled. FOX won!"
Even if FOX apologized to viewers on air NO viewer would have believed it. They all would have seen it as a type of “hostage” video. I live in rural MT. That’s the way people here think, and most of them watch FOX news or one of the other conservative channels.
You don't know that.
I disagree. Force them to tell their own viewers they were lied to by FOX anchors and make them show the evidence of their own guilt as well and eventually you might not fix stupid but you can deflate their hostility on the right and shut them the Hell up. It worked in Germany.
For the most part, looking more broadly, we don't know the universe of which viewers would have believed what specific story-line these days - remember this is a battle for hearts and minds across the country, not just in rural Montana. I am inclined to expect that reactions would be all over the place, depending on numerous factors. I wouldn't accept that a small sample of rural Montana, true as what you say about them may be, represents the country as a whole. Regarding what media they watch, well, what to say, they are free to choose of course, but it should be clearly understood, based on our knowledge of world history, that one sure road to a fascist future consists of being swallowed-up in a sea of deceit and make-believe designed to de-stabilize and then displace rational fact-based thinking.
They should have been forced to admit they lied on every show they have. Otherwise the fascist Trumpists will never know.
and Fox is the only one???
When it came to what they lied about - how their lies helped cause harm to a LOT of people. Jan6 people were spurred on for months & months. People lost their lives because of those lies. There were people who were doing their job(s) that had their reputation ruined because of these lies.
For this case, yes
Excellent point. Why didn't the judge think about that???!!!
Hello to all my new friends! Ari, the rest of us were harmed by the sophistry that Faux ?News? engaged in. I think you should help us file a class action lawsuit! The Proof Is Out There!
Now that's punitive damages! And I say you're right, let's take the pipe dream and run with it!
Now that, that is what I would be willing to call truly unprecedented!
Thank you, G-Man! we certainly wouldn't have to fold and we could hold their feet to the fire! I have high apple pie in the sky hopes for Smartmatics!
I know the penalty is unprecedented, but to Fox corporation it is a drop in the bucket. They got brought to heel for a brief fleeting moment. The Fox show hosts will be more clever going forward- they dodged a bullet. It’s about ratings, money and playing to the Trump base. Their audience isn’t searching for the truth, they want a narrative that feeds their beliefs and their needs. While I think the Dominion legal team did a fantastic job for their client, Fox in the long run, by not going to trial. out-foxed ( sorry for this) the bigger issue which is a
corrupt media enterprise continuing to prevail.
Great coverage on this story as always.
I take your point Ari, but I confess that I wanted to HEAR a public admission of wrongdoing, and an apology.
Thanks for reading Diane. The Fox statement noted the court found they made false statements. Would a stronger admission of wrongdoing be worth more than, say, the kind of financial penalty the company had to pay?... I totally get people want more retractions, but in general, the civil court system works off financial payments, that's how it 'keeps score.'
I think Tuckems, Hannity and Ingraham should be fired
I must admit, your moniker sounds somewhat sinister, but I like the way your mind works!
All the settlement proved is that you can sell lies for profit and not be held adequately accountable. When ad dollars exceed penalties Fox wins and keeps their audience for future transgressions. No amount of positive testimony from your guests will cover the failure to hold Fox fully accountable. Dominion capitulated at the urging of Staple Street and their attorneys and you know it.
This is why we need judicial reform. All the damn courts ever want is money, even from innocent people they want you to plea bargain your innocence and agree to a 10,000 dollar fine and 10 years probation. Just demand a trial by jury and suddenly, suddenly the state drops all charges! If only more people knew about the biggest criminals in our country are lawyers and judges, using the law to break the law, they wouldn't so easily plea bargain their innocence away. Financial payments MA! Here's your damn "score" and you can kiss it! All lawyers are crooks and all judges are lawyers!
that's how the rich circumvent the rule of law, justice, and avoid punitive damages with time served by the Just Us. It worked for OJ and nothins changed. Forget about it.
And in the shortest amount of time, the civil court and Injustice, remains invisible and silenced once again. So long the press! Business as usual for the rich and powerful and corrupt. In no time all is forgotten and the fake news bots on social media just keep on brainwashing a nation of blind men who will never see while the sheep stay silent. The whole corporation should be fired and banned from broadcasting the way Trump was banned from ever participating in a charity again! NO JUSTICE!
"The truth matters. Lies have consequences.” I wrote about this in Ari's comments at the very start of Ari's blogs months before this lawsuit became public.
"When Evil is branded, it sharpens its weapons." The Iching
THIS JUST IN:
You may have heard about Dominion Voting Systems settling its case against Fox News for an historic $787.5 million this week after the network’s constant lies and malfeasance were exposed. Although this is a significant amount of money, it won’t deter Fox -- not when it has a secret weapon: cable carriage fees that come out of your pocket and paid its bottom line to the tune of over $1 billion!
And now Fox wants even more.
You might be surprised to know, Fox News has a dirty secret: It gets the vast majority of its revenue from these fees. But now we know that Fox is planning on making YOU pay its bills by demanding MASSIVE INCREASES of cable providers during their ongoing contract renewal negotiations. That’s right, Fox expects YOU to pay to cover up for its lies.
That is not the important thing. An apology wouldn't be sincere anyway. They had to pay the most ever in defamation case AND they admitted they lied. This case drew a line where media cannot cross without paying big time.
I get that. I really do. My reaction is a visceral one.
You don't know that.
An apology with a confession, with evidence of the facts their involvement behind the scenes and broadcasted to their viewers is forced sincerity. Not one FOX viewer has had to listen to a single FOX anchor publicly broadcast a confession to having lied to and spread "The Big Lie" deceiving their viewers who remain in the ignorant bliss that "Trump won by a landslide." "The lawsuit against FOX?! That was just fake news! It's been settled. FOX won! Trump 2024!"
A public apology would be the public admission you keep saying they gave and they most certainly did not!
Okay, well now you're just paraphrasing my point. But well said! I think we can end this without further semantics.
an apology is NOT an admission. you can admit to something you did but not be sorry you did it.
My question Ari - is I am sure a lot will want to know. What Happened to the Apology?
I think it would mean something to the employees at Dominion. Do they get any of the check? Are they being paid for having to deal with threats and/or loss of income? They certainly had plenty thrown their way. An apology would help but an apology AND and a major overhaul to their whole business model. An Apology does not help anything but it would speak volumes to whether they have any decency left. And the answer IS No Decency Found at Faux News.
Hi Pamela. It never crossed my mind how employees of these companies have suffered from threats from the MAGA crazies too. That was a great observation. 👍
Hey ladies, do you think axing Tucker Carlson was part of the Dominion settlement? Interesting! Somebody’s head had to roll! Wouldn’t surprise me if others aren’t coming. Also, Tucker went right back to lying, which can only be costly to FOX! It goes to show, nobody is above the ratings war; that your behind can be canned, even with 3 million viewers!
Hi Diva 👋 I just read that. Wow!!! I honestly thought they would continue business as usual. I am in shock right now but relieved. Hope that's a start. But with so many right wing extremist platforms, he will end up spewing his venom in one of those soon.
Our week begins with some good news. Hope it continues. 🙏
Have a blessed day. We will keep in touch😃🌻❤️
Briefly, I doubt if anyone will hire him, for his brand now is a financial powder keg. FOX reportedly, was sitting on a $4 Billion dollar profit. Dominion just took almost 25%, Smartmatic will definitely take another… AND there are others to come. Don’t care who you are, no one wants to lose half their profits, down the drain. He’ll do what everybody does, start a podcast, or devote more time to it, if he has one.
Talk soon. You, too, be well, and enjoy your week!🙏🏽❤️
After seeing what happened to Ms. Ruby & her daughter Shea - I figured they’d go after the others that way. When I saw a few minutes after the settlement the CEO thanked his employees. It would be nice if that means they will help employees out with SOMETHING. Thx V 😉
Your writing was spot on. I am glad it settled, the Fox case. It would continue to a Maga group would divide our country further. It was good to know finally some accountability. I also believe the clarity in providing a breakdown of what iyet to come.
Thanks Lucy
the civil court did its thing outside of court, in the form of a quick settlement that informs the public of nothing. Ari, you're totally wrong this time. Divide our country further?! What a joke. Oooohhh, let's not let Justice (nothing more than a slap on the wrist) get in the way of keeping our country united! Seriously? Keep us all "united within the law!!!"
I am always grateful for your excellent reporting. I also appreciate that you often let an artist have a voice on your program. They have a lot to say about the state of our country. Gratefully, Julia Montrond
Thanks!
Ari, this $787.5 million settlement may have set quite a high bar and unprecedented precedent! And with this settlement representing a whopping 15% of their profit is quite a vindication for Dominion and represents accountability to a toon we have never seen or heard before in defamation suits! I’d say it’s just a matter of time before FOX NEWS is done with their other lawsuits in play like Smartmatic. Smartmatic’s $2.7 billion lawsuit is another lawsuit accusing FOX for defamation. Now that Dominion has paved the way with the unprecedented settlement from FOX and uncovered so much evidence, pray tell: what other damning and ruinous evidence shall Smartmatic’s legal team uncover!
Well I hope FOX will have to pay the full 2.7 billion and be required in the Smartmatic suit to fire all of it's hosts who lied? What are the chances of that?!! It's not enough. It's just not enough no matter how unprecedented Ari pretends that it is. It's not.
Superb coverage and explanations for the layman on your show, Ari. Thank you. Having said that, I wonder how many Fox viewers understand/care/will have their viewing habits changed -- OR how many MAGA-ites would not still vote for DJT despite it all. A lot still to be seen.....
Well, maybe if MAGA were better informed... rather than letting FOX simply settle and shut the whole thing up..
Btw Ari - the Title today is fantastic!!
Nice article. Always enjoy your show.
You graphic’s were very helpful. Loved the Comedian.
It's not a surprise that this amount is unprecedented. I have to wonder how much this really hurts Fox or Murdock. I hope it does. But I wish the liars would have to publicly state that they lied. They need to say this directly to their viewers. Tucker and the rest should be fired. Ari, always great coverage!
THIS JUST IN:
You may have heard about Dominion Voting Systems settling its case against Fox News for an historic $787.5 million this week after the network’s constant lies and malfeasance were exposed. Although this is a significant amount of money, it won’t deter Fox -- not when it has a secret weapon: cable carriage fees that come out of your pocket and paid its bottom line to the tune of over $1 billion!
And now Fox wants even more.
You might be surprised to know, Fox News has a dirty secret: It gets the vast majority of its revenue from these fees. But now we know that Fox is planning on making YOU pay its bills by demanding MASSIVE INCREASES of cable providers during their ongoing contract renewal negotiations. That’s right, Fox expects YOU to pay to cover up for its lies.
Not one FOX viewer has had to listen to a single FOX anchor publicly broadcast a confession to having lied to and spread "The Big Lie" deceiving their viewers who remain in the ignorant bliss that "Trump won by a landslide." "The lawsuit against FOX?! That was just fake news! It's been settled. FOX won! Trump 2024!"
See what I did there? Turned it around?
See how easy that was! There's your alternative facts.
They got busted in the most biblical way!
And the Lord gave us DOMINION over the FOX anchors,
and over the fowl/foul lies they spread on the air,
and over the MAGA cattle, and over every creepy thing
that MURDOCH creepeth upon the earth.
FOX’s STATEMENT: "We acknowledge the Court's rulings finding certain claims about Dominion to be false...”
The PROBLEM: “...the Trump-allied lies about the 2020 election, which were peddled primarily from Nov. 2020 to Jan. 2021 and fueled the insurrection...”
Because of the above, I am left unsettled about the Dominion outcome. Fox’s statement is so confusing, I had to read it several times, trying to find their admission of guilt. There is NONE! Even newscasters stumbled, when reading it. Comparing that statement to the identified problem for me, if not the country, leaves me unsatisfied. I acknowledge the award is unprecedented! But so is Fox News-their control of a political party, social issues, the insurrection, and us being held hostage to it all!
I found the statement to be clear. They admitted they lied regarding their claims about Dominion which were about stealing the election. We also have all the documents from the depositions of all the anchors involved admitting they knew as well. You will never get a big company like that to be direct or to be apologetic.
Yes, WE know that, Diane, but we’re not the ones to be reached. There are a lot of people still ignorant out there, being played by the MTGs, Trump, and those MAGA politicians. A lawsuit of this magnitude, that aided an insurrection, should have educated and clarified misinformation and disinformation embraced by a population of voters.
They would not believe it even if it was said on Fox. The statements about the case from Fox and Dominion are on actual news media and newspapers, online and print, not just cable shows. The depositions from various anchors and owner are also out there not just on cable. The important thing is not trying to get maga types to believe the truth but to hold media responsible while not intruding on the first amendment. Dominion did that. Also, there's Smartmatic and Dominion has several other lawsuits pending.
😂😂😂Diane, you are right, in all you say—in a world of RATIONALITY! “Actual news?…Newspapers?…Online print?…Readers?!” For people like US! MAGA types must be reached where they are, that’s why FOX (and others) do what they do. You can’t just discount 74 million people. Of course, that number has declined and continues to do so…slowly. Fox, having to admit their lies, on/in their forum, would have been beneficial, I think. And I’m looking forward to all the future cases involving Dominion and Smartmatic, as well.
It’s important to remember that so many maga’s don’t want to be reached. The emotional validation they get is worth much to them. Perhaps repetition may eventually break through to some, and the undecideds in the middle. Those are the important ones.
Hi YMS, I agree with your viewpoint!
Hi Diva😊
I feel the same way. No apology by the network??? Especially the main prime time liars. That should have been a part of the settlement. I'm so disappointed. 🤬
Fox will never change. They have settled so many lawsuits. Money is not a problem for them. Just part of their game.
Have a blessed rest of the week. 🙏😊❤️
Hi V! We’ll see how it goes. If people start to isolate them out, in some of these lawsuits, perhaps there’ll be a change. But the corporation has the deep pockets, so plaintiffs go after Rupert. Although money is no problem, after while, you get tired of paying. I believe Rupert’s goal is to destroy this country’s government, so he’ll continue to support their destructive medium.
Hello Ms Diva 😉
Hi Ms Pamela! In the end, it’s always about the🤑. Investors had a different focus than us. As a Dominion investor, I CAN see the other side, because there’s that outside chance of one (or more), going in a different direction. And investors know: “pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered!”
Very true Ms. Diva! We have lives, they have..... how does money make people so stupid. They will throw away respect, decency, anything as long as the $$ is enough
Hi Pamela!!!!😊