Disinformation expert Nina Jankowicz is suing Fox News Channel for their slanted coverage of her nomination. This is a complete guide to the story as it develops.
Jankowicz Sued Fox News After Their Coverage Triggered Harassment. “The suit was filed on behalf of Nina Jankowicz, the former executive director of a short-lived Department of Homeland Security division assigned with coordinating efforts to monitor and address disinformation threats to national security. Right-wing pundits and politicians falsely portrayed her group as part of an Orwellian bid to control the speech and thought of ordinary Americans. Ms. Jankowicz, a prominent specialist in Russian disinformation and online harassment, became the primary subject of their attacks. In 300 mentions over eight months on Fox last year, she was repeatedly demeaned and defamed in highly personal language, the lawsuit asserts.” [NY Times]
Lawsuit: Calls To Kill Jankowicz Followed Fox Attacks. “Comments on Fox News portrayed her as censoring Americans’ speech, the suit argues. She was called “unhinged” and a “Minister of Truth” in an apparent reference to George Orwell’s dystopian world in “Nineteen Eighty-Four,” the suit says. The lawsuit included screenshots of comments on Gab and another website, Patriots.win, in which people reacted to Fox broadcasts with comments like “time to kill them all.” Tweets said she should be executed.” [NBC]
Background
Jankowicz Resigned After Threats. “”Every characterization of the board that you heard up until now has been incorrect, and frankly, it’s kind of ironic that the board itself was taken over by disinformation when it was meant to fight it,” she said in an interview on MSNBC’s “All In with Chris Hayes.” Jankowicz said she and her family received numerous death threats amid the pushback over the board, which was formed in April.” [NBC]
One of the first political bloggers in the world, Oliver Willis has operated OliverWillis.com since 2000. Contributor at Media Matters for America and The American Independent. Follow on Twitter at @owillis. Full bio.