The broadcaster's agreement to settle a case over comments made about E. Jean Carroll lawsuits has sparked a backlash.

Summary

ABC News faces bipartisan backlash after settling a $15M defamation lawsuit with Donald Trump over anchor George Stephanopoulos’s inaccurate claim that Trump was “found liable for rape” in E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuits.

The settlement includes a public apology, $1M in legal fees, and a $15M donation to Trump’s presidential library.

Critics, including legal experts and political figures, accuse ABC of prioritizing profit over principle, arguing the case was winnable if litigated.

This follows broader debates on media accountability and legacy outlets’ handling of defamation lawsuits. Trump denies wrongdoing in Carroll’s related cases.

  • LeadersAtWork@lemmy.world
    14·
    3 days ago

    Traditional media hasn’t tried to preserve anything other than whatever spin on a story gets the most views and clicks. Independent media are the ones we all need to look out for and tune into now.

    A good example from the tech world is GamersNexus.

    • takeda@lemmy.world
      4·
      3 days ago

      Yeah, after reading his books I now scheduled recurring donations for ProPublica, NPR and also an subscribed to a local news paper that still does some real journalism.