The Fox News trial

Rupert Murdoch. Mary Altaffer / AP  

Analysis: Fox News avoided losing face in court  

With the billion-dollar settlement, Fox News avoided the risk of losing against the vote counting company Dominion in a lawsuit - and thereby avoided the risk of tarnishing its reputation, write the New York Times' Jim Rutenberg and Katie Robertson in an analysis.  

In the settlement, for the equivalent of eight billion kroner, the parties agreed that Fox News did not have to apologize for any error in its own coverage. But at a trial it had emerged that Fox News employees up to Rupert Murdoch's level knew that it was a conspiracy theory, they write.  

"But Fox managed to escape Dominion's goal of a live confession or apology, meaning they didn't have to force it on their audience, who didn't hear much about the case on Fox News anyway.

" CNN's Oliver Darcy also points out that Fox News did not have to apologize to viewers and adds that the hefty price tag will not be enough for the news channel to change its core business. Instead, Fox News was able to move on after only having to "admit" the lies in the thinly worded statement that came from the lawyers after the settlement, he believes. 

SvD's Malin Ekman writes that the USA has been deprived of a trial at the level of tension with the TV series "Succession". But that is not the main reason why it was a shame that the parties reached a settlement, she writes, adding that it contained an important issue. 

"Where is the line between, with the support of freedom of expression, giving space to controversial opinions and information and unscrupulously misleading and indulging in slander?"  

Justin Nelson holds press conference at the New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington, Delaware. Julio Cortez / AP  

The lawyer: "The settlement redress and responsibility"  

That the media company Fox News chooses to pay 787.5 million dollars, equivalent to 8.1 billion Swedish kronor, instead of a lawsuit "stands for redress and responsibility". This was said by Dominion's lawyer, Justin Nelson, at a press conference after the announcement of the settlement.  

- The truth is the important thing. Lies have consequences, he said, adding that the settlement is important for democracy.  

Dominion had sued Fox News for publishing false information that the 2020 election was rigged in President Joe Biden's favor. Fox News profiler Sean Hannity. 

Archive image. Evan Agostini / AP  

The settlement is world news – but not at Fox News  

The billion-dollar settlement between Fox News and the vote counting company Dominion topped many news broadcasts in the United States and the West on Tuesday. But in Fox News it was only mentioned as the fastest, reports Reuters.  

Neither profiles Sean Hannity nor Tucker Carlson, who have been called as witnesses in the case, mentioned the agreement in their programs. In total, the television channel devoted six minutes to the subject divided into three segments, writes the New York Times.  

During one of the segments, Fox News media analysts said the allegations of Dominion's vote count fraud, which were widely circulated on the channel, were "conspiracy theories" and "patently false."