FOX News agreed to pay 787.5 million dollars as part of a settlement against Dominion Voting Systems this past Tuesday. This came amidst a lengthy dispute in which Dominion Voting alleged defamation for the false claims and misinformation spread by FOX News hosts and network programs. 

The settlement, one of the largest in defamation history, came in order to avoid a long and highly publicized trial, one in which FOX News, considered a generally reputable media outlet by many (although this is debatable,) sought to desperately avoid. Such a drawn out trial likely would have had a large impact in hurting the brand because as a news source, their platform is legitimized by being able to provide reliable and accurate news, at least in theory. 

The defamation claims were alleged as a result of the comments of FOX News hosts following the scandal of the Presidential Election of 2020 in which President Trump claimed that there had been massive fraud in the election. These claims were elaborated on by FOX News hosts and analysts who went on to claim that there were issues with the Dominion Voting Systems and such issues with the election were made possible through mistakes as a result of Dominion.

Specific claims made by the news outlet is that the Dominion systems were susceptible to hacking from outside influence and that votes were flipped from the incumbent President Trump to President Biden. This spread of information was pushed by popular news hosts such as prominent figure Tucker Carlson. The settlement was crucial as it prevented the popular host from taking the stand.

Yet, it failed to stop internal backlash over the event as shortly thereafter, FOX News and longtime host Tucker Carlson agreed to part ways. Speculation emerged that Carlson may have been asked to leave following the settlement as many of the claims that Dominion alleged as defamation were made by Carlson himself.  

Carlson has also become wrapped up in a similar legal conflict over former head of booking Abby Grossberg. Grossberg alleges that FOX coerced her to provide misleading testimony ahead of the Dominion trial. Additionally, she claims that she found herself a victim of sexism and misogyny. An additional senior executive for Tucker Carlson Tonight was also let go on Monday.

Carlson has become so spotlighted as a result of claims that he and other FOX newsroom members were aware that the claims about voting fraud with the Dominion voting machines were false. Yet, they continued to push these claims out of fears of losing viewers as they watched increasing viewership of smaller conservative outlets that were pushing such claims. 

Tucker Carlson’s removal has come at the shock and outrage of many long time FOX viewers. Carlson’s show, Tucker Carlson Tonight, is immensely popular and considered by many to be the go-to conservative news programming. Controversy on the nature of Carlson’s departure in regards to if it was a mutual splitting of ways or rather a case in which he was asked to leave has led to many speaking out in his defense and many who were glad he was fired.