Kate Riga and I mentioned this through the podcast in the present day – for scheduling causes we recorded at some point early this week. However so a lot of you’ve requested me this query that I needed to deal with it right here within the Ed Weblog. The query is that this: Is it potential that Tucker Carlson’s termination was a private a part of Fox’s settlement settlement with Dominion? I’ve no inside info. However I’m fairly certain the reply isn’t any.
The principle concern right here is logic. Dominion has two issues it needed – to restore its fame and cash. The end result of the case advised – not surprisingly – that a very powerful factor was cash. In equity to Dominion, the details that have been made public within the pleadings in all probability repaired their fame as a lot because it might be.
The related level is that Dominion doesn’t give a crap about Tucker Carlson. Even on the deserves, he wasn’t the worst offender when it comes to defaming them. In actual fact, his most damning function within the litigation was as an in-house reality witness – by non-public communications – that the entire Dominion vote rigging storyline was BS.
So once more, Dominion doesn’t give a crap about Tucker Carlson.
It’s conceivable {that a} public settlement to fireplace Carlson might have ultimately been of worth to Dominion as underlining simply how flawed Fox had been and the way large a value they needed to pay. That’s stretch. However I assume that’s conceivable. Doing it secretly makes zero sense.
I used to be stunned Dominion didn’t require Fox to make some form of on air apology. However for the reason that verdict got here out it’s develop into extra clear to me that each for insurance coverage causes and due to nonetheless pending litigation that was all the time going to be nearly not possible for Fox to comply with. Within the conversations cash was in all probability negotiable whereas an apology or admission of wrongdoing was not.
I’ve seen a couple of attorneys react to this declare by saying, no that’s not the way it works. It’s potential there’s some authorized motive this couldn’t be the case. That’s exterior my experience. However for the explanations I be aware right here I really feel fairly assured the reply to the query isn’t any. For no matter motive, Fox – and actually Rupert Murdoch – made this resolution on his personal, not as a result of it was something Dominion required of him.