Hi Everyone! In this week's episode, I'm talking about a lawsuit that was filed by a non-profit in Washington against Fox News, in which it is alleged that Fox News downplayed Coronavirus by calling it a hoax, which undermined efforts to slow the spread of the disease and put its viewers at risk.  The lawsuit asserts that Fox News violated the Consumer Protection Act by engaging in "deceptive practices".  The lawsuit focuses on statements made by Sean Hannity and Trish Regan.  Fox News has moved to dismiss the lawsuit, asserting that the statements that were made have been distorted.  Fox News also asserts that, even if the statements made were false, they are still protected by the 1st amendment and that other media outlets made statements downplaying how serious Covid-19 was during the same time period.  This case really turns on whether the 1st Amendment protects false statements that could pose a health risk.  We know that statements that create an "imminent" health risk (i.e. screaming fire in a crowded theater) are NOT protected by the 1st amendment but are statements likening Covid-19 to the flu or calling it a hoax the same? All of this is discussed in this episode.