Politics and Money

[lesgetrich]

Better watch what you wish for...

Fox News Faces Lawsuit Over Its Coronavirus Coverage

...The Washington League for Transparency and Ethics sued Fox News on Thursday, saying the network’s consistent downplaying of the pandemic in the early stages of the outbreak in the United States encouraged people to behave in ways contrary to what was required to stem the spread.

“Defendants knowingly disseminated false, erroneous, and incomplete information, which was reasonably relied upon by the public and which had the effect of delaying and interfering with the implementation of effective mitigation and countermeasures against the virus,” the League said in the complaint. “Defendants’ actions created an ongoing uncertainty amongst some members of the public as to the dangers of the virus and the rapidity with which the virus spreads.”

WASHLITE said one of its members eventually contracted the coronavirus during epidemiological conditions the plaintiffs allege were created, in part, by the malfeasance of the network.

“The defendants have created an epidemiological hazard,” WASHLITE said in the complaint. “A subset of the population has and will continue to ignore or resist reasonable and necessary efforts to control and mitigate the virus and prevent mass death.”

Fox News dismissed the lawsuit as frivolous....