by Brandon Reiter
Today, Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems have reached a historic settlement in the defamation case stemming from Fox’s coverage of Dominion’s role in the outcome of the 2020 US Presidential election.
The case was originally filed by Dominion Voting Systems in March 2021 for $1.6 Billion. Dominion claimed that numerous Fox News personalities knowingly spread false statements that their voting machines were used to manipulate the 2020 election against former president Donald Trump.
Details of the settlement are still unknown to the public, but this serves as a historic precedent for news outlets and the potential repercussions they may face when it comes to journalistic integrity. While Fox tried to defend themselves by citing the first amendment, their words had a direct impact on Dominion’s business.
This is an important reminder that while our constitution does provide us with free speech, if you are going to knowingly spread false information about a person or entity that stands to suffer financial damages from such actions, there is a price to pay. In fact, the settlement amount is more than Dominion Voting Systems is even worth, but damages can be attributed to potential lost earnings.
If you are going to defame, diminish, or attack a person’s character, you better make sure there are facts to back it up.
