Mailwatch(ed) Forum

Is this an in-joke tribute to an Abbot and Costello vaudeville skit, or Laura Ingrahams being thick?

Stupid.

Even Roger Daltrey couldn't explain that.

Well well well. The Dirty Digger comes clean

In his 71 years as a media executive, Rupert Murdoch has proved himself to be a grand master in the arts of survival. He has weathered bruising battles with British trade unions, the phone hacking scandal, countless ratings wars and a volatile private life, all the while growing his News Corp empire into global colossus.

It was against this seven-decade backdrop of seeming invincibility that news of Murdoch’s deposition in the $1.6bn Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit against Fox News Networks and its parent company Fox Corp dropped like a bomb. Not only did he admit that he knew that Fox News hosts spread lies about the 2020 presidential election being stolen from Donald Trump, but he confessed that he had allowed them to keep on doing so on air to millions of viewers.

Rupert Murdoch testified that Fox News hosts ‘endorsed’ stolen election narrative
To say that the 91-year-old’s statement astounded close Murdoch watchers would be an understatement. “I was shocked,” said Angelo Carusone, president of the watchdog Media Matters for America. “It is stunning, as it not only exposes a lot about how Fox works, it opens them up to potentially cascading litigation and liability.”

Fox News and its parent company now face escalating damage on two fronts: to its reputation as a journalism outlet that ostensibly pays lip service to truth and accuracy – and to the financial health of the operation. Media and legal experts told the Guardian that, partly as a result of his stunning testimony, Murdoch can now expect potentially severe injury to both.

https://amp.theguardian.com/media/2023/ ... ng-systems

Has he had a sudden attack of conscience? Or is it just that he's realised he's getting old, has been a sinner all his life, and is now trying to atone for past crimes and convince St Peter he's a good boy and should be allowed in (while a whole string of camels queue up outside the sewing supplies shop).

I think he's realised the populist hardman ship hasn't quite sailed, but is definitely pulling up the gangplank. Bolsanaro, Trump, Johnson - all gone and looking more and more redundant and irrelevant each passing day (according to the I, senior Tories are asking Johnson to announce he's stepping down as MP at the next election, so he can keep his "never lost an election" reputation). Putin, who they all basically modelled themselves on, is isolated and arguably insane. People are rediscovering the virtues of boring but practical. On both sides of the Atlantic, the likes of JRM and MTG look increasingly daft. It's like the world's biggest Kipper council facing reelection after a disastrous stab at "how hard can it be?" politics, and the electorate saying "harder than you thought, mate".

All true, I hope, Andy - except the very last bit. The electorate might say that in part, but unfortunately I'm pretty sure the conceit and disillusionment won't go away in the voters.

Murdoch just doing what all his detractors expect him to be doing. When’s he going to fucking die?

Andy McDandy wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 9:18 am like the world's biggest Kipper council facing reelection after a disastrous stab at "how hard can it be?" politics, and the electorate saying "harder than you thought, mate".

No UKIP or BNP council has been re-elected. If voters notice you’re shit at local level you must be really, really shit.

Yug wrote: ↑Wed Mar 01, 2023 7:49 am Well well well. The Dirty Digger comes clean

In his 71 years as a media executive, Rupert Murdoch has proved himself to be a grand master in the arts of survival. He has weathered bruising battles with British trade unions, the phone hacking scandal, countless ratings wars and a volatile private life, all the while growing his News Corp empire into global colossus.

It was against this seven-decade backdrop of seeming invincibility that news of Murdoch’s deposition in the $1.6bn Dominion Voting Systems lawsuit against Fox News Networks and its parent company Fox Corp dropped like a bomb. Not only did he admit that he knew that Fox News hosts spread lies about the 2020 presidential election being stolen from Donald Trump, but he confessed that he had allowed them to keep on doing so on air to millions of viewers.

Rupert Murdoch testified that Fox News hosts ‘endorsed’ stolen election narrative
To say that the 91-year-old’s statement astounded close Murdoch watchers would be an understatement. “I was shocked,” said Angelo Carusone, president of the watchdog Media Matters for America. “It is stunning, as it not only exposes a lot about how Fox works, it opens them up to potentially cascading litigation and liability.”

Fox News and its parent company now face escalating damage on two fronts: to its reputation as a journalism outlet that ostensibly pays lip service to truth and accuracy – and to the financial health of the operation. Media and legal experts told the Guardian that, partly as a result of his stunning testimony, Murdoch can now expect potentially severe injury to both.

https://amp.theguardian.com/media/2023/ ... ng-systems

Has he had a sudden attack of conscience? Or is it just that he's realised he's getting old, has been a sinner all his life, and is now trying to atone for past crimes and convince St Peter he's a good boy and should be allowed in (while a whole string of camels queue up outside the sewing supplies shop).

If he's really really good for a bit, maybe he'll get a grave next to Cap'n Bob.

Weasled out of a trial.

Fox News settles Dominion defamation case for $787.5m

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-65318654

Fox News has settled a defamation lawsuit from the voting machine company, Dominion, over its reporting of the 2020 presidential election.

In a last-minute settlement before the trial, the network agreed to pay $787.5m (£644m) - about half the $1.6bn initially sought by Dominion.

........

Fox still faces a second, similar defamation lawsuit from another election technology firm, Smartmatic, which is seeking $2.7bn.

Dominion still has legislation pending against two conservative news networks, OAN and Newsmax.

The company has also sued Trump allies such as Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell and Mike Lindell.

It couldn't, could it?

Fox News lawsuit: Can it afford the $787.5m Dominion settlement?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-65320001

Beau explains:

Oh come on, we're all going to miss uncle Rupe when he's gone:

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/wel ... -hes-gone/

It still has outstanding cases against Fox's smaller rivals Newsmax and OAN plus several of former President Donald Trump's associates.

Dominion’s CEO will probably tell us he wished this sorry scandal never happened. In his head Father Ted is throwing Dollar bills in the air at a Las Vegas crap table.

Fox and Tucker Carlson have parted company. Presumably due to the amount he has cost them, but that feels like scapegoating.

He is now the American News of the World?

Dominic Raab, Tucker Carlson and Cristian Stellini walk into a bar...