The High Cost of Irresponsible Journalism

Another right-wing cable outfit writes a big check.

We learned last week that Newsmax, the right-wing cable news outlet that prides itself on being a safe space for MAGA loyalists, has agreed to pay a whopping $67 million to settle a libel lawsuit brought by Dominion Voting Systems. Dominion alleged that Newsmax knowingly peddled falsehoods about the company rigging the 2020 presidential election in favor of Joe Biden.

Let’s not pretend this was just a case of sloppy reporting and commentary — or a misunderstanding in the heat of a chaotic news cycle. Dominion’s lawsuit laid it out in no uncertain terms: Newsmax aired conspiracy theories that weren’t just wrong—they were ludicrous. We’re talking about 18 separate statements made on television and social media, including wild claims that Dominion’s software switched votes from Trump to Biden, that the company had shady ties to Venezuela, and that it paid kickbacks to corrupt officials.

This wasn’t journalism. This was a fantasy novel masquerading as news. And the price tag for that fiction? Sixty-seven million dollars.