Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attempting to weaken the free speech rights to save Fox News in $1.6B defamation lawsuit. One of Fox News’ most prominent Republicans, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, is attempting to weaken the free speech rights that may ultimately save the network from bankruptcy as it faces legal risk for its coverage of Donald Trump’s 2020 election lies.
The comments set the stage for what is believed to be a frenetic drive by the GOP-controlled legislature to score policy victories that might serve as a platform for DeSantis’ eagerly awaited run for the White House. (Image courtesy of keyt.com)
A comprehensive revision of Florida’s defamation laws has been proposed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his Republican friends in the state legislature, which would make it much simpler to sue news organizations there. The law would make the state a battleground for the First Amendment’s future and was designed to punish media organizations for their coverage of conservatives.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has drawn criticism from his attempts to attack the mainstream media.
The media outlets that have done the most to support Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis throughout his rise in the GOP may be among the most vulnerable, according to his detractors. In its current form, the proposed legislation directly criticizes the historic US Supreme Court decision in New York Times v. Sullivan, which raised the threshold for public persons suing for defamation.
Since the case was decided in 1964, the ruling has served as a cornerstone of US media law, shielding news organizations from costly lawsuits for errors made during the course of reporting by requiring plaintiffs to show the reporter or outlet displayed “actual malice” when publishing inaccurate information about a public figure. In its $1.6 billion defamation defense against Dominion Voting Systems, Fox News has extensively relied on the judgment.
In its lawsuit, Dominion claims that Fox “recklessly disregarded the truth” when covering the 2020 election by spreading a number of anti-Trump myths regarding the company’s voting equipment. Fox’s attorneys requested a summary judgment on March 7 and mentioned New York Times v. Sullivan five times in their court filing. The network has often argued in public declarations that the precedent established in that case protects it.
Read Also: Updates On Child Tax Credit 2023; Here’s What You Should Know
Up To $4,555 Social Security Checks To Be Received By Retirees Next Month
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has been discreetly attacking the First Amendment rights of the media for years.
In December 2021, he will introduce legislation aimed at libel laws. Stephanie Kopelousos, the governor’s director of legislative affairs, forwarded a draft bill to the office of the state Senate president even though it wasn’t submitted for the 2022 legislative session.
The lengths taken by the Rupert Murdoch-owned conservative network and other outlets to support DeSantis in advance of his possible presidential run add to the intrigue. Even if the bill is passed, legal professionals have doubts that it will be upheld. In contrast to Thomas and Gorsuch, other Supreme Court justices have not yet demonstrated the same level of enthusiasm for revisiting Sullivan’s rule.
The proposed legislation, according to Mark Lerner, an attorney who represented Newsmax in a libel case, is “unconstitutional” and its proponents “who think they’re championing conservative voices may be surprised that it chills them,” said Dave Heller, deputy director of the Media Law Resource Center.
