This is a re-post of an original article from March 31, 2010.
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Why does Fox News lie so much with impunity? Why are they able to get away with the things they say? Why does EVERYONE on Fox news tow the company talking point for the day with no guilt or shame?
Jane Akre and her husband Steve Wilson are former employees of Fox owned-and-operated station WTVT in Tampa, Florida. In 1997, they were fired from the station after refusing to knowingly include false information in their report concerning the Monsanto Company’s production of RBGH, a drug designed to make cows produce more milk. They successfully sued under Florida’s whistle blower law and were awarded a US $425,000 settlement by jury decision. However, Fox appealed to an appellate court and won, after the court declared that the FCC policy against falsification that Fox violated was just a policy and not a “law, rule, or regulation”, and so the whistle blower law did not apply.
The court agreed with WTVT’s (Fox) argument “that the FCC’s policy against the intentional falsification of the news — which the FCC has called its “news distortion policy” — does not qualify as the required “law, rule, or regulation” under section 448.102.[...] Because the FCC’s news distortion policy is not a “law, rule, or regulation” under section 448.102, Akre has failed to state a claim under the whistle-blower’s statute.”[1]
Actually I won the court case, before a jury of six. Fox won on appeal overturning my $425k verdict before an appellate panel of 3 who never spent one day in our jury trial.
Hi Jane. Yes, I did read that you and your husband won the case and that’s what’s stated above:
I respect what you and Mr. Wilson tried to do. It seems that only now, people and organizations are standing up to Fox news’ deception, since those emails from a company exec. were exposed.
Thank you for commenting.