Why don't people sue Fox News for slander when lied about?

[caty]

"George Soros survived the Holocaust. He is Jewish and when the Nazis caught up with his family his father saved his life by bribing an agricultural official to pretend Soros was his Christian godson. At one point, that man took the fourteen year old Soros to survey and appraise the property that had been confiscated from another Jewish family. Obviously Soros did not have a choice in the matter. Soros eventually survived the Holocaust.

To most this would be an amazing and harrowing story of survival during the Holocaust. To Beck it was an opportunity to paint Soros as an anti-Semite and smear him with one of the worst lies I have ever heard.


First Beck started by horribly warping this story on his Fox News show. He said of Soros:

14 years old, he had to help the government confiscate the land of his fellow Jewish friends and neighbors.

That's not what happened at all as you can see from above. He didn't help confiscate people's land. He didn't actively participate in betraying his Jewish neighbors or friends. The implications are horrible. But what Beck did next is much worse. He twisted the story further until he came out with this inexcusable lie on his radio show:

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Glenn-Beck-s-Horrific-Lie-by-Cenk-Uygur-101112-467.html



Perhaps if everyone that Fox News slandered would sue them, maybe they would go out of business.

[The Wielding Truth]

1. Maybe there could be a class action suit? I'm serious.

[caty]

10. I've thought of that

also. Americans against dishonesty in new reporting.

[The Wielding Truth]

13. Aren't there groups out there already?

[elleng]

11. Probably not doable, re: defamation,

if talking about lots of different people. Each one would have to prove its case, not one big action and injury, as in most class actions.

And as to defamation, have to prove 'wreckless disregard for the truth' as to each plaintiff.

[The Wielding Truth]

12. It might take some work but I think wouldn't not try.

[Drale]

2. Because they would probably have anyone who tryed

killed. They are an evil orginization, akin to the legend of doom.

[Angry Dragon]

3. Everybody should sue beck in a class action suit

On another note
He states he is a Mormon, but I have never seen his magic underwear
so I do not believe him. I think he is a secret Muslim, he should be
investigated for this. He does have a Saudi boss and they are all Muslims.

[doc03]

4. That's what I was thinking why couldn't George Soros

sue Faux Noise or at least Glenn Beck?

[Fuzz]

5. I've been following the freeper threads about this and they are horrific.

They follow Beck like he was an immortal.

[brettdale]

6. I think newscorp

Has amazing lawyers, no matter who you are, your not going to sue faux news.

[Posteritatis]

7. It's fairly difficult to make a defamation suit stick

That's probably a good thing most of the time, since it makes it a little harder to shut down legitimate criticism, but in cases like this it's less so.

If I remember correctly, they have to prove

a) that the statements are demonstrably false (easy in this case),
b) that the statements have damaged the target's reputation or finances (I have no idea here), and
c) that the statements were produced with malicious intent (probably the hardest to nail down).

Now, it's Beck, so A's a slam dunk by default, C's a safe assumption, and with his audience I wouldn't be surprised if some B took place. Getting to a courtroom and actually proving those beyond a shadow of a doubt would be another matter, though, especially for an organization with as big a legal war chest as Fox has.

I'd love to see someone with similar pockets take them on in that manner, but I also understand that it wouldn't be an easy case to win.

[Violet_Crumble]

8. That Beck is an anti-semitic piece of crap n/t

[ejpoeta]

9. because when they lie it's generally something that one can't prove

because you can't prove a negative... that sort of thing. i wonder that myself too though.