New defamation lawsuit creates even more problems for Fox News

12 May 2023

2023 has been a rough year for Fox News.

After agreeing to pay Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million to settle a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit, the right-wing cable news outlet fired its top-rated host Tucker Carlson. Fox News is still facing a $2.6 billion defamation lawsuit from Dominion competitor Smartmatic, and former Fox News producer Abby Grossberg is suing Fox for, she alleges, trying to bully and coerce her into giving misleading testimony in the Dominion case.

On top of all that, Fox News is facing a new defamation lawsuit from disinformation expect and author Nina Jankowicz. In 2022, Jankowicz headed the now-dissolved Disinformation Governance Board (DGB) within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Journalist Ja'han Jones examines Jankowicz's lawsuit in an op-ed published by MSNBC's website on May 11, explaining why it "could compound" Fox News' "legal troubles."

"Media personalities on Fox and other conservative outlets, along with lawmakers and even some liberals, relentlessly attacked Jankowicz and the agency, conjuring a storm of negative press that helped lead to the Biden Administration disbanding the board before it officially began its work," Jones explains. "Progressive watchdog Media Matters compiled a list of some of the most egregious claims made by Fox personalities. Jankowicz, who was pregnant when she was selected to lead the board, says she received violent threats as a result of the baseless claims about her."

Jankowicz, who has jokingly called herself "the Mary Poppins of disinformation" because of her interest in musical theater, is the author of the 2020 book, "How to Lose the Information War: Russia, Fake News and the Future of Conflict."

In her lawsuit against Fox News, Jankowicz's attorneys allege, "Fox's coverage of Jankowicz was neither news nor political commentary; it was cheap, easy entertainment untethered from the facts, designed to make consumers believe that Jankowicz could and would suppress their speech. Fox chose to lie about Jankowicz deliberately."

Jones notes that "legal filings have been piling up against Fox News."

The journalist observes, "The Dominion lawsuit shook loose some damning revelations about Fox and its hosts, and even spurred a workplace misconduct lawsuit by a now-former Fox employee. The Smartmatic lawsuit could reveal even more damaging info, and now, Nina Jankowicz is in the litigation mix as well. She accuses Fox personalities of using falsities to damage her reputation. Now, with court filings, she may be in a position to return the favor."

Ja'han Jones' full op-ed for MSNBC is available at this link.

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