Tucker Carlson, a prominent television host, has recently filed a lawsuit against his former employer, Fox News, for $150 million in punitive damages. Carlson alleges that Fox “threw him under the bus” and forced him out of the network. He claims that they did so in order to appease the corporate media over his coverage of the January 6th insurrection.
Carlson’s last show on Fox News was on Friday, after which he traveled to Kalamazoo, Michigan, to meet with his attorneys and file the lawsuit in the 14th Federal District Court. Carlson’s spokesperson has stated that Fox News betrayed him and put their own interests above his, leading to his departure from the network.
On the other hand, Fox News has stated that Carlson’s coverage of the January 6th insurrection was out-of-context and misleading. They claim that Carlson referred to the insurrectionists as “tourists,” which has been used in court by several companies suing the network for spreading falsehoods. Rupert Murdoch, the founder of Fox News, has called Carlson a “selfish jerk” and vowed to counter-sue him for everything he has.
The dispute between Carlson and Fox News highlights the contentious relationship between the media and politics. Carlson’s lawsuit is just the latest in a series of legal battles between the media and the government. The issue of fake news and biased reporting has become a hot-button topic.