NEW YORK: A Delaware judge on Tuesday rejected a motion by the parent of Fox News Network to dismiss Dominion Voting Systems Inc's $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit over the network's 2020 presidential election coverage.
Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis, who last December said Dominion could sue Fox News Network, said the voting machine company can also sue Fox Corp on a theory it was directly liable for statements on the network.
Fox Corp did not immediately respond to requests for comment. In a statement, Dominion said: "We are pleased to see this process moving forward to hold Fox accountable."
Dominion accused Fox of trying to avoid viewer defections to conservative rivals Newsmax and One America News by amplifying false theories that the company rigged the 2020 election so Republican Donald Trump would lose to Democrat Joe Biden.
Some theories were floated by Trump surrogates like the lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, and included claims that votes were changed through algorithms created in Venezuela to rig elections for that country's late president Hugo Chavez.
In court papers, Dominion claimed that Fox Corp, through Chairman Rupert Murdoch and his son Chief Executive Lachlan Murdoch directly participated in, approved and controlled the network's election coverage and its aftermath.
Without ruling on the merits, Davis said the allegations permitted "reasonable" inferences that Fox Corp acted with malice and proximately caused Dominion's alleged damages.
"Dominion has adequately pleaded actual malice with respect to Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch," the judge wrote.
Davis dismissed a related defamation claim against another Fox entity, Fox Broadcasting, for posting the challenged statements on fox.com, citing a lack of evidence that anyone there was "subjectively aware of anything."
Smartmatic, another voting machine company, is also seeking billions of dollars in damages from Fox and various Trump allies it has accused of defamation.
The case is US Dominion Inc et al v Fox Corp, Delaware Superior Court, No. N21C-11-082.
Fox News parent must face defamation lawsuit over election coverage
https://arab.news/zvmfs
Fox News parent must face defamation lawsuit over election coverage
- Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis is pleased to see that the process of holding Fox accountable is moving forward
Saudi Media Forum expects large rollout of speakers, panels ahead of 5th edition
- More than 300 participants expected to discuss issues, challenges facing sector
- Leading platform for media exchange will explore ways to keep pace with a rapidly changing world
RIYADH: The fifth edition of the Saudi Media Forum due to kick off in early February is expected to attract more than 300 participants across hundreds of panels.
The forum aims to explore the future of media in a rapidly transforming world, reflecting the dynamic cultural and developmental landscape of the Saudi Arabia.
High-level editors, reporters, and speakers include Karen Elliott House, former executive editor of The Wall Street Journal; Julie Pace, executive editor and senior vice president of the Associated Press; and Ben Smith, co-founder and editor-in-chief of the global news platform Semafor.
The forum is a leading Saudi platform for media exchange and cooperation, fostering capacity building, stimulating innovation, and building bridges of communication locally and globally.
The fifth edition reaffirms the forum’s status as a pivotal event in the year of media transformation, bringing together the most prominent media figures to discuss the issues and challenges facing the sector, and ways to keep pace with a rapidly changing world.
The forum includes the Future of Media Exhibition, which will bring together government entities and private companies, both local and international, under one roof. Exhibitor pavilions will showcase the latest products and contributions in media, radio, and television. These pavilions, alongside the dedicated presentation platform, provide an opportunity for participants to share their innovations and specialized services with visitors.
The exhibition’s main stage will offer comprehensive insights into the media sector through panel discussions, dialogues, and workshops featuring local and international speakers, while also providing opportunities for signing cooperation agreements and partnerships.
