Fox wins McDougall case, no one takes Tucker Carlson seriously

• A federal judge sued Fox News this week after pro-network lawyers argued that the network’s prime time star Tucker Carlson was not taken seriously by “reasonable viewers”.
• Former Playboy model Karen McDougall has filed a defamation suit against Fox, alleging that Carlson slandered her during the “Tucker Carlson Tonight” episode during the December 2018 episode.
• The network asked a judge to dismiss the case, arguing that “Carlson’s statements were not factual and that she had failed sufficiently to allege actual malpractice”.
• The judge agreed with Fox’s premise that the network “argues convincingly … that if Mr. Carlson’s reputation is given, any reasonable viewer will come.”[s] ‘With appropriate doubts about the statements he makes. “
• Carlson has a long history of making racist and controversial statements during his time as a primetime host on Fox News and has lost many advertisers as a result.
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The federal judge dismissed a Claim Network lawyers argued this week against Fox News after arguing that the “reasonable viewer” did not take prime time host Tucker Carlson seriously. According to the new court filing.

The case was brought up by former Playboy model Karen McDougall, who claimed that Carlson had defamed her on her show “Tucker Carlson Tonight” and that she had extorted from President Donald Trump “from about $ 150,000” to nearly 000 150,000.

The Fox News Network asked a federal judge to throw out McDougall’s case, arguing that “Carlson’s statements were not factual statements and that she had failed miserably to allege actual malpractice.”

McDougall said two of Carlson’s statements during the December 10, 2018 episode were defamatory, according to a ruling Thursday by U.S. District Judge Mary Kay Wisconsin.

• Carlson claims that McDougall “approached Donald Trump and threatened to ruin his career and insult his family if he did not pay.”
• McDougall’s actions are a “classic case of extortion,” Carlson argues.

Fox News countered McDougall’s allegations, ruling that Carlson “could not understand the facts being stated, but instead he was giving an opinion using hyperbole”. “Defendant’s use of that term or allegation of extortion, over-attendance does not simply lead to a defamation suit that is ‘loose, figurative or hyperbolic language’.”

The judge agreed with Fox’s premise that the network “argues convincingly … that if Mr. Carlson’s reputation is given, any reasonable viewer will come.”[s] ‘With appropriate doubts about the statements he makes. “

“This ‘general tenor’ of the show should inform an audience not to tell ‘real facts’ about what they are discussing and to engage in ‘exaggerated’ and ‘unwritten comments’ instead,” the verdict said.

McDougall made headlines in 2018 after it appeared that Trump’s longtime lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen, the owner of the tabloid The National Enquirer, had arranged for American Media Inc. to pay her $ 150,000 to buy her story alleging that she had an affair with Trump. AMI never published McDougall’s story after he bought Trump to save him in the weeks before the 2016 election, known as “Catch and Kill”.

Carlson, meanwhile, made several racist and controversial statements during his tenure as one of Fox News’ biggest primetime stars.

Last year, after the mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, the accused wrote a manifesto about the “Hispanic invasion of Texas”, arguing that Carlson’s white supremacy was “fake” and “not a real problem.”

In December 2018, Carlson claimed that immigrants would make America “poor and dirty”. Nearly three dozen advertisers severed ties after Carlson made his comments. Three months later, the host found himself in hot water again The tapes were exposed He described women as “primitive” and said they should be “quiet”, comparing them to dogs and defending the punishable pedophile Warren Jeffs.

Carlson refused to apologize for his repeated remarks and invited those who disagreed with him to join his show. In June, as protests erupted across the country after police killed George Floyd, the host said the shows were “definitely not about black lives” and warned viewers to “remember when they came for you”.

Carlson Saw another exit of advertisers Following his comments about the protests.

“Karen McDougall’s lawsuit sought to silence an enthusiastic commentary on matters of public concern,” Fox News Media said in a statement after Thursday’s verdict. “The court today ruled that the First Amendment explicitly prohibits such attempts to curb libertarianism. This decision is a victory not only for Fox News Media, but for all those who defend the First Amendment.”