The Decepticons over at Fox have built their media empire on the obvious and formidable power of sheer media attention. 

Whether they were shamelessly fawning over former president, Donald Drumpf (Grandpa Frederick changed the family name), or sprinting fast and far away from him—alas, nonetheless failing to escape titanic election-defamation lawsuits—Fox has constantly genuflected and contorted to stay in the right-wing media spotlight. 

To recall, some of the great conspiracy “hits” given the stage regularly at Fox include seemingly endless Q-Anon variations; Jewish lasers from space; bleach vaccinations to prevent COVID-19; fact-free antifa blaming; the highly publicized and coveted, but never realized Republican 2022 mid-term Red Wave; the racist “great replacement theory”; Hugo Chavez, back from the dead and the evil source of imaginary “flip”; Tr**p to Biden; Dominion voting machine outcomes; the January 6 peaceful “tourist visit” to the Capitol; endless Hunter Biden blather; and Joe Biden as the Xmas Grinch, and the source of everything old and “wrong” in the world. 

Much of their largely fact-free material is heavily based on rumor and unsubstantiated internet gossip. It makes some swell reality show entertainment that used to be called “fake news” until that phrase was lost in the deluge of noise into which the unbridled internet has since largely morphed. 

When a lie is created or even just conveyed, who is held responsible? Often, no one and then comes the next lie.

But the Dominion defamation suit against Fox broadly changed that. Smartmatic certainly learned from the Dominion experience and is currently awaiting its turn to feed at the trough that is Fox’s bloated bank account. 

Going forward, the outright lies at Fox will have to be toned down. If they really must report some mere facsimile of the news, it will just not be the same. Still, it’s a long road to reach journalistic libel. No doubt, they will continue to manage without the need for GoFundMe.

John Pace

Honesdale, PA