As the recent US election cycle loomed, Fox Corp. reached a hefty $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems Inc. Fox’s Chief Legal and Policy Officer, Viet Dinh, says the settlement was necessary after ‘a series of errors’ by a Delaware judge essentially forced the corporation’s decision, citing it as a strategic business decision.
This case followed months of deliberation over defamation claims against Fox, alleging the media agency had impaired Dominion’s reputation with coverage of former President Donald Trump’s accusations of electoral misconduct. Dinh defended Fox’s coverage, noting the corporation had a responsibility to its conservative audience to report on the allegations.
An adviser to Rupert and Lachlan Murdoch, Dinh will step down at the end of the year. His retirement was announced on August 11. His departure comes after having endured criticism related to Fox’s unsuccessful showdown with Dominion and the considerable payout that ensued. Speculation about Dinh’s handling of the Dominion case possibly influencing his decision to step down was reported by Bloomberg News.
Dinh’s dissatisfaction with the case stems from the denial of Fox’s right to invoke what is known as the ‘neutral reporting privilege.’ This privilege would have enabled Fox to argue the ‘newsworthiness’ of the defamatory allegations in its coverage.
While there was division among Fox’s legal representatives about the decision to settle, it was ultimately deemed the best course of action to avoid a potentially damaging, protracted court battle. Dominion’s bogus claims, suggesting voting machine tampering favoring Trump, played a key role in the litigation.
Reflecting on his time at Fox, Dinh acknowledged the changing media landscape and its implications for corporate legal decision-making. He concluded on a positive note, determined to have contributed positively to the nation’s civil discourse during his tenure. Fox, he suggested, has always attempted to offer a balanced perspective, even when dealing with controversial issues. The search for Dinh’s successor as legal and policy chief at Fox is still ongoing.
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