The settlement is a drop in the bucket for Fox, whose quarterly profits were recently mentioned at $4.6 billion (U.S). The settlement means that executives will not have to testify so the truth continues behind the dollar.
It means media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his son won’t be on the stand to defend the actions of his company.
You may remember Murdoch in relation to a hacking scandal that resulted in his News of the World listening in to hacked voicemails involving a murdered young woman. That scandal has continued to this day, although Murdoch’s stature has not diminished.
This newest scandal has perpetrated lies that many have bought into. As the BBC reported last week, the Murdoch empire’s approach to truth is what is really in the spotlight here. And that approach is wrong.
There is nothing wrong with free speech until it gets to the point where the speech involves libel, slander and blatant lies.
And that’s why this settlement does nothing to bring journalism back to a position of respect in our society, and only promotes the lies promulgated in social media, instead of viewing the facts presented in a well-researched article in a trusted journal or broadcast.
I’m Doug Collins and that’s One Man’s Opinion.
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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.
