Irish Examiner view: Victory, of sorts, for free speech

Fox News settles case with Dominion Voting Systems

Attorney Justin Nelson, representing Dominion Voting Systems, speaks at a news conference outside New Castle County Courthouse in Wilmington, Del, after the defamation lawsuit by Dominion Voting Systems against Fox News was settled just as the jury trial was set to begin, Tuesday, April 18, 2023. Picture: Matt Rourke/AP

The abject capitulation of the Fox Corporation’s TV network in its settlement of a defamation action taken against it in the US by Dominion Voting Systems, an election technology company, is being painted by some as a massive hit against free speech.

Quite the contrary. As we come to terms with the astonishing $787.5m settlement by Fox News, it was a tacit admission the network knowingly spread misinformation about the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election in America.