The end of Fox News

It reads like a Fox News lead story on the old Tucker Carlson segment, complete with a breathless recounting of how โ€œDemocrats are trying to interfere with our First Amendment rights.โ€ Only this time itโ€™s not some spurious, evidence-light accounting of how a pre-Elon Musk Twitter corporation has banned accounts allegedly at the Biden administrationโ€™s behest. Itโ€™s a real letter from real Fox News lawyers demanding that โ€œMedia Matters for Americaโ€ stop drip-feeding embarrassing, behind-the-scenes videos of Tucker Carlson.

Thus far the leaked clips have, among other things, shown Carlson asking British broadcaster Piers Morgan about sexual techniques, trashing Foxโ€™s own streaming service and making creepy, inappropriate comments about Tuckerโ€™s own โ€œpremenopausalโ€ fans.

The demand letter reads in part: โ€œThe unaired footage is FOXโ€™s confidential intellectual property. FOX did not consent to its distribution or publication; and FOX does not consent to its further distribution or publication. This proprietary material was given to you without FOXโ€™s authorization. FOX demands that Media Matters cease and desist from distribution, publication, and misuse of Foxโ€™s misappropriated proprietary footage, which you are now on notice was unlawfully obtained.โ€

Itโ€™s a weak letter, a desperate, Hail Mary threat from Fox News. Fox News clearly hoped that Media Matters would buckle to the threat and become terrified that they would be hauled into court for exercising their First Amendment rights to report leaked material. But the letter contains no actual threat of legal action. It was written by lawyers who know perfectly well they havenโ€™t a leg to stand on, legally speaking.

So, instead of buckling to the demand, faster than you can say โ€œHunter Bidenโ€™s laptopโ€ Media Matters instead publicly released the letter as a scathing repudiation of this absurd attempt to deprive them of their right to free speech. โ€œReporting on newsworthy leaked material is a cornerstone of journalism,โ€ Media Matters CEO Angelo Carusone said. โ€œFor Fox to argue otherwise is absurd and further dispels any pretence that theyโ€™re a news operation.โ€

All of which goes to show that the leaks are apparently not coming from Fox. At least, not officially. In other words, these leaks are not part of Foxโ€™s Machiavellian attempt to punish Tucker Carlson or discourage him from publishing his own scandals about the embattled company. The leaks are damaging to both Fox News and Tucker Carlson alike.

Unfortunately for Fox News, they donโ€™t get to guard the henhouse of free speech. Instead they get to learn firsthand what it feels like to be on the receiving end of a major scandal. Only this time the scandal in question isnโ€™t composed of spurious conspiracy theories cobbled together to destroy the reputations of innocent people. This one is the Real McCoy.

To borrow a phrase from Donald Trump, this could mean the end of โ€œthe failing Fox News.โ€ I hope so. It couldnโ€™t happen to a bunch of more deserving people. And, as ever, ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, comrades and friends, stay safe.

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