Lawsuit Accusing Fox News of Downplaying COVID-19 Pandemic Dismissed

SEATTLE — A Washington state judge has dismissed a non-profit watchdog organization’s lawsuit accusing Fox News and its CEO Rupert Murdoch of downplaying the COVID-19 pandemic in broadcasts, ruling that the cable news network’s commentary is protected by the First Amendment.

On May 28, Judge Brian McDonald of the King County (Wash.) Superior Court further ruled that while the plaintiff’s attempt to ensure that the public receives accurate information about COVID-19 is “laudable,” the government “may not prohibit the expression of an idea simply because society finds the idea itself offensive or disagreeable.”

In an April 2 complaint, the Washington …