Text messages sent by Tucker Carlson that set off a crisis at Fox News

April 27, 2023 /Media/ — In 2023, Fox News was sued by Dominion Voting Systems for defamation after the network and its hosts, including Tucker Carlson, repeatedly aired false claims that the company’s voting machines were used to rig the 2020 election in favor of Joe Biden. As part of the lawsuit, Dominion subpoenaed a trove of internal text messages and emails from Fox News employees.

Some of the text messages sent by Tucker Carlson were particularly damaging to Fox News. In one message, Carlson expressed skepticism about the election fraud claims that he had been promoting on his show. In another message, he referred to a senior Fox News executive as a “c-word.”

In the messages, Carlson told his producer, Alex Pfeiffer, that he did not believe the election had been stolen and that he was worried that the network’s coverage was “dangerous.” He also said that he was “furious” with the network for not doing more to protect him from legal liability.

The messages were a major embarrassment for Fox News and led to calls for Carlson’s firing. However, the network ultimately decided to keep him on the air, citing the First Amendment.

The crisis at Fox News is a reminder of the power of social media and the dangers of misinformation. Carlson’s messages were private, but they were leaked to the public and quickly went viral. This shows how easily false information can spread online and how it can damage the reputation of a news organization.

The discovery of these text messages set off a crisis at Fox News. The network was forced to defend Carlson and its other hosts against allegations that they had knowingly spread false information. In the end, Fox News settled the lawsuit with Dominion for $787.5 million.

The text messages also raised questions about Carlson’s credibility. He had built his career on promoting conservative talking points, but the messages showed that he did not believe some of the things he was saying on air. This led to speculation that Carlson was simply a ratings-driven entertainer who was willing to say anything to get people to watch his show.

The text messages also damaged Fox News’ reputation. The network had long been accused of being a propaganda outlet for the Republican Party, but the messages provided concrete evidence of this. The discovery of the messages also led to calls for Fox News to be held accountable for its role in spreading misinformation.