The Spectator

We’ll miss Rupert Murdoch when he’s gone

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issue 22 April 2023

The idea that Donald Trump was denied victory in the 2020 presidential election by conspirators determined to fiddle with the electoral system was never more than a fiction dreamed up by a frustrated losing candidate. At such times, the role of the media is crucial. If there were genuine evidence of vote-rigging then it should of course be investigated. But to amplify conspiracy theories for the sake of ratings could have grave consequences.

The editorial decision to try to give legs to the stolen election claim is now costing Fox News dearly. This week the company reached a $788 million settlement with Dominion, a company which supplies vote-counting technology for US elections and had been accused of involvement in rigging the election. The staggering sums and reputational damage represent one of the deepest setbacks of Rupert Murdoch’s career.

It’s not just the size of the Dominion payout that matters, but the sense that, as with phone hacking, more payments are coming.

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