Fox News parent Fox Corp. has sent a cease-and-desist order to Media Matters for America in an effort to stop leaked footage of Tucker Carlson, which shows the fired Fox News host making offensive and crude remarks. Media Matters The company claims the “proprietary material” was given to the media watchdog “without Fox’s authorization.”
“We write on behalf of Fox Corporation to clarify any misunderstandings Media Matters may have had regarding previously unaired footage that Media Matters has published in a series of articles headlined “Foxleaks,” legal counsel representing Fox wrote in the letter dated Friday. “That unaired footage is Fox’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 Fox’s authorization. Fox demands that Media Matters cease and desist from distribution, publication, and misuse of Fox’s misappropriated proprietary footage, which you are now on notice was unlawfully obtained. We reserve all rights and remedies.” Read the letter here.
Media Matters President Angelo Carusone released the following statement to Deadline to “clarify any misunderstanding” after the organization received the letter.
“Reporting on newsworthy leaked material is a cornerstone of journalism. For Fox to argue otherwise is absurd and further dispels any pretense that they’re a news operation. Perhaps if I tell them that the footage came from a combination of WikiLeaks and Hunter Biden’s laptop, it will alleviate their concerns.”
Media Matters recently has published several videos of Carlson making offensive and crude remarks about women and complaining about the network. In one video, Carlson describes an unnamed woman as “yummy” and refers to his fans as “post-menopausal”.
Carlson was fired by Fox News late last month, less than a week after Fox News agreed to pay $787.5 million to Dominion Voting Systems to settle the election software company’s defamation claim. Carlson was to be among the witnesses to testify if the case had gone to trial.
