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Judge says Fox News has ‘credibility problem’ over Murdoch role: Media Miss

Apr 12, 2023

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MediaMiss™This story is a Media Miss by the right as only 6% of the coverage is from right leaning media.

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Left 61%

Center 33%

Right 6%

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At a hearing on Tuesday, April 11, a judge in Dominion Voting Systems’ defamation lawsuit against Fox News says the network has “a credibility problem.” The comments came less than a week before the lawsuit is set to head to trial.

The judge made comments after the network disclosed that Fox Corporation Chairman Rupert Murdoch is also the executive chairman at Fox News. Fox has previously argued the corporation and its top officials did not have daily operational roles at the network.

“I’m not very happy right now,” Judge Eric Davis said during a hearing in Wilmington, Delaware. “You [Fox News] have a credibility problem.”

Lawyers for Dominion argued the delayed disclosure prevented them from obtaining a wider set of documents from Murdoch during discovery.

A lawyer for Fox argued Murdoch disclosed his title in a February deposition. According to the lawyer, Murdoch described the role as “honorific.”

“Rupert Murdoch has been listed as executive chairman of Fox News in our SEC filings since 2019 and this filing was referenced by Dominion’s own attorney during his deposition,” Fox said in a company statement.

In another pre-trial update, Judge Davis also ruled that Dominion lawyers cannot reference Jan. 6 during the trial. Davis said references to Jan. 6 could taint the jury’s view of the case, and that the trial was not about whether or not Fox News influenced the attack on the U.S. Capitol.

Straight Arrow News aims to identify when stories are being underreported on either side of the political aisle and media landscape. This story is a Media Miss for right-leaning outlets, with most sources reporting it being either left-leaning or center-oriented outlets, according to Ground.News.

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A JUDGE IN DOMINION VOTING SYSTEMS’ DEFAMATION LAWSUIT AGAINST FOX NEWS SAYS THE NETWORK HAS QUOTE “A CREDIBILITY PROBLEM.”

THE COMMENTS — COMING LESS THAN A WEEK BEFORE THE LAWSUIT IS SET TO HEAD TO TRIAL.

THE JUDGE MADE COMMENTS AFTER THE NETWORK DISCLOSED THAT FOX CORPORATION CHAIRMAN RUPERT MURDOCH IS ALSO THE EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN AT FOX NEWS.

FOX HAS PREVIOUSLY ARGUED THE CORPORATION AND ITS TOP OFFICIALS DID NOT HAVE DAILY OPERATIONAL ROLES AT THE NETWORK.

LAWYERS FOR DOMINION SAY THE DELAYED DISCLOSURE PREVENTED THEM FROM OBTAINING A WIDER SET OF DOCUMENTS FROM MURDOCH DURING DISCOVERY.

AT A HEARING THIS WEEK — A FOX LAWYER SAID MURDOCH DISCLOSED HIS TITLE IN A FEBRUARY DEPOSITION — DESCRIBING IT AS “HONORIFIC.”

IN A STATEMENT — THE COMPANY SAID QUOTE “RUPERT MURDOCH HAS BEEN LISTED AS EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN OF FOX NEWS IN OUR SEC FILINGS SINCE 2019 AND THIS FILING WAS REFERENCED BY DOMINION’S OWN ATTORNEY DURING HIS DEPOSITION.”

THIS STORY IS CONSIDERED A MEDIA MISS — AS IT’S BEEN UNDERREPORTED BY RIGHT-LEANING OUTLETS. 

AT STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, WE WORK TO BRING YOU STORIES FROM ACROSS THE POLITICAL SPECTRUM, INCLUDING THOSE THAT GET MISSED BY REPORTERS ON THE RIGHT AND THE LEFT.

IN ANOTHER PRE-TRIAL UPDATE — THE JUDGE ALSO RULED THAT DOMINION LAWYERS CANNOT REFERENCE JANUARY 6TH DURING THE TRIAL.

THE JUDGE SAID REFERENCES TO JAN 6 COULD TAINT THE JURY’S VIEW OF THE CASE — AND THAT THE TRIAL WAS NOT ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT FOX NEWS INFLUENCED THE ATTACK ON THE CAPITOL.