It’s not exactly a secret that Dominion Voting System’s defamation case against Fox News was devastating for the controversial network. We are, after all, talking about litigation — recently resolved by way of a $787.5 million settlement — that produced evidence that suggested Fox promoted bogus election claims they knew to be false, on purpose, in order to placate its audience and make money.
What was far from clear, however, was whether the story would reach the public at large and affect the network’s standing. A Washington Post analysis this week pointed to data that suggests the case did have a meaningful impact.
In a new poll from the Economist and YouGov, Americans say, 51 percent to 21 percent, that Fox hosts said things about the 2020 election that they knew to be untrue. Remarkably, even Fox’s base of Republican-leaning Americans takes a dim view: Nearly as many Republicans said Fox hosts effectively lied (31 percent) as dispute that assertion (34 percent). The near-even split was similar among supporters of Donald Trump: 30-35.
The “knew to be untrue” dimension to this stands out. Every news organization and media professional has, at one time or another, gotten something wrong. That includes me. But in journalism, there’s an enormous difference between making a mistake and peddling deliberate falsehoods.
The survey data suggests that a narrow majority of Americans now believes that Fox is guilty of the latter. The Post’s article added:
The poll also shows Fox ranking last for “accurate” coverage of the 2020 election. Only 12 percent overall said Fox’s 2020 coverage was “almost always accurate,” which was less than the percentages for CNN, MSNBC, ABC, NBC and CBS. And less than half (49 percent) said Fox’s coverage was at least “mostly accurate.” This was again lower than all six broadcast outlets tested, which ranged between 56 percent and 58 percent.
In situations like these, it’s best not to rely too heavily on one…
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