美国国家公共电台 NPR--Since Dominion settlement, criticism swirls around leaders of Fox's parent company

Since Dominion¹ settlement, criticism swirls² around leaders of Fox's parent company

Transcript³

The Fox-Dominion case settlement and other scandals at the network are bringing long-simmering tensions over the Murdoch family's leadership to the surface.

A MART?NEZ, HOST:

The uproar⁴ over the firing of Tucker Carlson has obscured bigger questions about Fox News, questions such as why didn't Fox apologize for broadcasting lies about election fraud in 2020, or who's at fault for having to pay three quarters of a billion dollars to settle a defamation⁵ suit? NPR's David Folkenflik reports on the criticism swirling⁶ around the leaders of Fox's parent company.

DAVID FOLKENFLIK, BYLINE⁷: Fox founder⁸ Rupert Murdoch doesn't much like saying he's sorry. His son, Fox Corp Executive Chair Lachlan Murdoch, sure didn't apologize when he addressed investors⁹ this morning. Instead, he announced Fox is on firm footing financially, legally and journalistically. But how can that be when Fox had to pay so much money to settle those defamation claims?

FRANK SESNO: What I saw was shocking, striking, outrageous¹⁰.

FOLKENFLIK: That's former CNN Washington Bureau Chief Frank Sesno.

SESNO: Fox can't call itself a news organization if it isn't going to observe the most fundamental practices and premises¹¹ and principles of journalism¹².

FOLKENFLIK: Sesno says Fox could have redeemed¹³ itself, in a sense, by covering the questions about its handling of the election lies squarely - that is, by reporting that Fox executives and journalists privately¹⁴ acknowledged they were chasing supporters of then-President Donald Trump¹⁵ by airing false claims about the election tech company Dominion Voting Systems. Sesno says the conservative network instead failed to report developments in the case straight. Here's Fox's chief media host and correspondent Howard Kurtz back in February.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

HOWARD KURTZ: The company has decided¹⁶ that, as part of the organization being sued, I can't talk about it or write about it, at least for now.

FOLKENFLIK: On the eve of trial in mid-April, Kurtz declared he would cover it thoroughly¹⁷ and fairly. Two days later, it was settled. Fox viewers initially¹⁸ wouldn't hear the size of the settlement from Kurtz. He said he couldn't confirm it, though Dominion's attorneys had announced the figure on national television. On his own show, Kurtz glossed¹⁹ over the damaging details, instead echoing his network's attacks on the rest of the press.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

KURTZ: The overwhelming majority of media outlets²⁰ was strongly against Fox and, therefore, were aiding Dominion.

FOLKENFLIK: Fox declined to make Kurtz available for comment and issued a statement praising its investments in its journalism. Sesno was poised²¹ to be an expert witness for Dominion against Fox.

SESNO: If they want to have news in their middle name, then they need to operate like a news organization - seek truth, update stories, correct mistakes, be accountable for what you're reporting.

FOLKENFLIK: Fox News faces a second defamation suit from another voting tech company for $2.7 billion, a former producer's lawsuit²² against Tucker Carlson that alleges²⁴ he created a hostile workplace and sagging²⁵ ratings in Carlson's absence. Fox has denied the producer's allegations and says ratings will return, but Fox News Chief Executive Suzanne Scott's future at the network appears to be hanging in the balance. Lachlan Murdoch last spoke²⁶ publicly in March, and he went out of his way to praise Scott.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

LACHLAN MURDOCH: The position of the channel is very strong and doing very well. It's a credit to Suzanne Scott and all of her team there. They've done a tremendous job.

FOLKENFLIK: Two lawsuits²⁷ filed this year by shareholders²⁸ allege²³ that board members, including the Murdochs, failed to meet their duty by not forcing Fox to apologize promptly²⁹ over the election fraud claims about the two voting tech companies. Nell Minow advises major investors on how well corporations are run. She says shareholders are right to be upset. Minow notes that Rupert Murdoch owns a small fraction of the company's stock but controls 42% of the voting shares.

NELL MINOW: Any time that you've got the insiders with a disproportionate amount of control, you're asking for trouble. And any time you've got a succession plan based on who was born to whom rather than who's the best person, you've also got a problem.

FOLKENFLIK: Minow says that's how the Murdochs are able to operate largely as they please, with few apologies and little accountability.

David Folkenflik, NPR News.

1 dominion   

n.统治，管辖，支配权；领土，版图

参考例句：

• Alexander held dominion over a vast area.亚历山大曾统治过辽阔的地域。
• In the affluent society,the authorities are hardly forced to justify their dominion.在富裕社会里，当局几乎无需证明其统治之合理。

2 swirls   

n.旋转( swirl的名词复数 )；卷状物；漩涡；尘旋v.旋转，打旋( swirl的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Swirls of smoke rose through the trees. 树林中升起盘旋的青烟。 来自辞典例句
• On reaching the southeast corner of Himalaya-Tibet, It'swirls cyclonically across the Yunnan Plateau. 在到达喜马拉雅--西藏高原东南角处，它作气旋性转向越过云南高原。 来自辞典例句

3 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

4 uproar   

n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸

参考例句：

• She could hear the uproar in the room.她能听见房间里的吵闹声。
• His remarks threw the audience into an uproar.他的讲话使听众沸腾起来。

5 defamation   

n.诽谤；中伤

参考例句：

• Character defamation can be either oral or written.人格诽谤既可以是口头的也可以是书面的。
• The company sued for defamation.这个公司因受到诽谤而提起诉讼。

6 swirling   

v.旋转，打旋( swirl的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Snowflakes were swirling in the air. 天空飘洒着雪花。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• She smiled, swirling the wine in her glass. 她微笑着，旋动着杯子里的葡萄酒。 来自辞典例句

7 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

8 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

9 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

10 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

11 premises   

n.建筑物，房屋

参考例句：

• According to the rules,no alcohol can be consumed on the premises.按照规定，场内不准饮酒。
• All repairs are done on the premises and not put out.全部修缮都在家里进行，不用送到外面去做。

12 journalism   

n.新闻工作，报业

参考例句：

• He's a teacher but he does some journalism on the side.他是教师，可还兼职做一些新闻工作。
• He had an aptitude for journalism.他有从事新闻工作的才能。

13 redeemed   

adj. 可赎回的，可救赎的 动词redeem的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• She has redeemed her pawned jewellery. 她赎回了当掉的珠宝。
• He redeemed his watch from the pawnbroker's. 他从当铺赎回手表。

14 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

15 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

16 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

17 thoroughly   

adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地

参考例句：

• The soil must be thoroughly turned over before planting.一定要先把土地深翻一遍再下种。
• The soldiers have been thoroughly instructed in the care of their weapons.士兵们都系统地接受过保护武器的训练。

18 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

19 glossed   

v.注解( gloss的过去式和过去分词 )；掩饰（错误）；粉饰；把…搪塞过去

参考例句：

• The manager glossed over the team's recent defeat. 经理对这个队最近的失败闪烁其词。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He glossed over his selfishness with a display of generosity. 他以慷慨大方的假象掩饰他的自私。 来自互联网

20 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

21 poised   

a.摆好姿势不动的

参考例句：

• The hawk poised in mid-air ready to swoop. 老鹰在半空中盘旋，准备俯冲。
• Tina was tense, her hand poised over the telephone. 蒂娜心情紧张，手悬在电话机上。

22 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

23 allege   

vt.宣称，申述，主张，断言

参考例句：

• The newspaper reporters allege that the man was murdered but they have given no proof.新闻记者们宣称这个男人是被谋杀的，但他们没提出证据。
• Students occasionally allege illness as the reason for absence.学生时不时会称病缺课。

24 alleges   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The newspaper article alleges that the mayor is corrupt. 报纸上断言该市长腐败。
• Steven was tardy this morning and alleges that his bus was late. 史提芬今天早上迟到的说词是公车误点了。

25 sagging   

下垂[沉，陷]，松垂，垂度

参考例句：

• The morale of the enemy troops is continuously sagging. 敌军的士气不断低落。
• We are sagging south. 我们的船正离开航线向南漂流。

26 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

27 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

28 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

29 promptly   

adv.及时地，敏捷地

参考例句：

• He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。
• She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。