Fox News’ Howard Kurtz Concedes $787M Defamation Case Has ‘Been Embarrassing’ for the Network, Seethes About Rival Outlets ‘Aiding Dominion’
Fox News MediaBuzz host Howard Kurtz delivered a final summary on the implications of the network’s $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems.
On Sunday, Kurtz — who was in Delaware last week to cover the proceedings — recapped the events of the past week, as a settlement was reached just before the trial could get underway. Kurtz once again snarked about those in the media that wanted to see Fox get publicly scrutinized in a major legal spectacle.
Kurtz began by turning his sights on Dominion attorney Davida Brook, who, in a post-settlement news conference, thanked reporters for their coverage on the case.
“We appreciate what you’ve done to help us,” she said to the assembled media.
Kurtz ran with that remark — arguing, “It’s true! The overwhelming majority of media outlets were strongly against Fox, and therefore, were aiding Dominion.”
After touching on the size of the settlement and what it says about Fox’s 2020 election coverage, Kurtz moved to defend how he and the network have been addressing the Dominion case on air. After more gripes about the “endless anti-Fox coverage,” Kurtz insisted “I’m not defending” the revelations about Fox that came out from the discovery process before the settlement.
“It’s been embarrassing,” Kurtz said. “But Fox was also fighting for the First Amendment, which actually applies to liberal news outlets as well as right-leaning ones. In the end, both sides had incentives to settle… Fox wanted to avoid a parade of high-profile witnesses, and the judge had gutted most of its planned defenses. Dominion might have lost and gotten zero, in part because it had to prove Fox acted with actual malice, a very high bar for plaintiffs.”
Watch above via Fox News.
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