I write this without knowing if I know all that’s available to know about the settlement reached in the hugely important suit between Fox and Dominion.
Not knowing what the terms are, I will just express my profound disappointment in this going to settlement unless the settlement includes compelling Fox to tell the nation — and especially their viewers — about their knowing and deliberate assault on American democracy.
The damage Fox did to Dominion is orders of magnitude smaller than the damage Fox did to the nation, telling millions of people that the election had been stolen, and should be protested, when they knew otherwise.
I looked upon the coming trial as a means by which the American people would be exposed — in an expert and powerful way — to the truth about the nature of Fox and its sick and destructive relationship with their viewers.
I was eager for all that to be exposed in ways that might prove hard for the people in MAGAland to avoid or defend.
But not there will be no trial. The public will not see the powerful case the lawyers for Dominion have doubtless ready to go. The opening arguments that might have publicly eviscerated Fox as a bad actor will never be heard in the courtroom.
I hope the terms at least enable those opening statements to be published.
And I hope the terms will require Fox to do everything possible to give their viewers the truth where they’d lied before.
