Honestly, if you've been following the news over the last couple of years, you've probably heard bits and pieces about the massive legal headaches over at Fox. But the Fox news court case—specifically the one involving Dominion Voting Systems—is one of those stories where the "boring" legal details are actually more shocking than the headlines.
It wasn't just about a big check. It was about what happens when the biggest megaphone in the country gets caught saying one thing on camera while texting the exact opposite behind the scenes.
The $787 Million Moment
So, here is the basics. Back in April 2023, right as everyone was literally sitting in the courtroom waiting for opening statements to start, Fox News settled with Dominion for $787.5 million.
That is a staggering amount of money.
To put it in perspective, that’s roughly half of the network's annual net income at the time. Dominion had originally sued for $1.6 billion, claiming Fox destroyed its reputation by airing "the Big Lie"—the idea that their voting machines were rigged to steal the 2020 election from Donald Trump.
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Why did Fox pay up? Well, the judge had already ruled that the statements Fox aired were factually false. The only thing left for the jury to decide was "actual malice." That’s the legal "smoking gun" where you prove a news organization knew they were lying or just didn't care if they were.
What the Texts Revealed
The most wild part of the Fox news court case wasn't the settlement itself; it was the "discovery" process. This is when lawyers get to dig through your private emails and texts.
What they found was... kind of embarrassing for Fox.
- Tucker Carlson was texting his producer saying he "passionately" hated Trump, even while praising him on air.
- Rupert Murdoch, the big boss himself, admitted under oath that some of his commentators had "endorsed" the false election claims.
- Sean Hannity admitted in a deposition that he didn't believe the election fraud claims "for one second."
The internal panic was real. Fox executives were watching their ratings dip because viewers were switching to Newsmax, a smaller, more right-wing channel that was doubling down on the fraud claims. Basically, they were scared of losing their audience, so they kept feeding them what they wanted to hear, even if the hosts knew it was nonsense.
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Why It Matters for Your Daily Feed
You might think, "Okay, a rich company paid another rich company. So what?"
But this changed the game for media law. For decades, the "Actual Malice" standard from the 1964 New York Times v. Sullivan case made it almost impossible to sue a news outlet. Most lawyers thought Fox would win on First Amendment grounds.
The fact that Fox settled suggests that even the First Amendment has its limits when you have a paper trail of people admitting they're lying. It’s a warning shot to every other outlet: keep your receipts, or better yet, don't lie.
The Case That Won't Go Away: Smartmatic
If you think the Fox news court case drama ended with Dominion, you're wrong.
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There is a second "final boss" waiting: Smartmatic.
They are another voting technology company, and they are suing Fox for a whopping $2.7 billion in a New York court. As of early 2026, this case is still very much alive. Unlike Dominion, Smartmatic seems less interested in a quick settlement and more interested in a full trial.
What Smartmatic Wants
- Direct Accountability: They want to prove that Fox Corporation (the parent company) was pulling the strings.
- Higher Damages: Because they operate globally, they argue the damage to their brand is way worse than what Dominion suffered.
- Discovery 2.0: They are digging into even more recent documents, including stuff about how Fox handled the fallout of the first settlement.
Actionable Insights: How to Navigate News Post-Lawsuit
Since these cases have basically pulled back the curtain on how cable news is made, you've gotta be a bit more skeptical. Here is how to handle your news intake now:
- Check the "Discovery" vs. The "Broadcast": If a major story sounds too good to be true, wait for the legal filings. The "under oath" version of the news is usually the real one.
- Follow the Money: Understand that cable news is a business. If a network is losing viewers to a rival, they might prioritize "audience retention" over "accuracy."
- Watch for Retractions: Notice how Fox is much quicker to clarify things now? That’s the "Dominion Effect" in action.
- Diversify Your Sources: If you only watch one channel, you're only getting one version of the "truth" that has been focus-grouped to keep you clicking.
The Fox news court case proved that in the American legal system, the truth eventually gets a price tag. Whether $787 million is enough to change the way the media operates is still up for debate, but the paper trail left behind is a permanent record of what happens when ratings matter more than reality.
If you're following the Smartmatic case, keep an eye on the New York appellate rulings. They've already swiped away several of Fox’s attempts to get the case thrown out, meaning we might actually see Rupert Murdoch on a witness stand this time. That’s something the Dominion settlement managed to avoid at the very last second.