• JaggedRobotPubes@lemmy.worldEnglish
    14·
    1 day ago

    We can measure the quality of a news source with the new Donald Trump Is A Rapist test. That’s the name of the test.

    It’s the name of the test because Donald Trump, who is a rapist, sometimes won’t be referred to as the rapist he is despite the fact that he, Donald Trump, is a rapist. A news source discussing the issue who is not sufficiently plain and unbothered about stating the fact that Donald Trump is a rapist would score very poorly on the Donald Trump Is A Rapist test.

    Remember to mention the test by its name, the Donald Trump Is A Rapist test. Otherwise people might be unsure what you mean. For handy convenience, you can capitalize the name of the test when writing it: Donald Trump Is A Rapist. This is to distinguish the name of the test, Donald Trump Is A Rapist, from the passing mention of a fact, say, for instance, that Donald Trump is a rapist.

  • circuitfarmer@lemmy.sdf.org
    14·
    1 day ago

    Potentially noteworthy: ABC is owned by Disney.

    With the Disney hate from the right, plus the very public squabbling between Disney and Ron DeSantis, it is extra frustrating that ABC just caved.

  • Maple Engineer@lemmy.world
    27·
    2 days ago

    Trump is a serial rapist but don’t say that over in c/conservative or they will remove your comment. Protect the echo bunker!

    • SatansMaggotyCumFart@lemmy.world
      5·
      1 day ago

      Conservative communities are echo chambers for snowflakes.

      One of the mods there is named after one of William Gibson’s AIs which shows their reading comprehension and maybe they’re lacking a bit of the I.

  • njm1314@lemmy.world
    1102·
    2 days ago

    It’s amazing that they caved on this, I’m not going to guarantee they would have won but it seems very easy to argue. They have the judge’s own words to back up their reporting. They have the definition of rape from basically every other state. They can have myriads of witnesses to argue about a common colloquial definition of a word. Again I wouldn’t say Ironclad but with how hard it is to prove defamation I have trouble seeing how they would have lost. They just straight up kowtowed. This is basically a bribe. Or maybe a tribute is the better word.

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
      181·
      2 days ago

      In a normal environment sure. But Trump has already threatened their broadcast license. So it doesn’t matter if they win in court, if he yanks the rug out from under their entire business.

    • KAYDUBELL@lemmy.world
      20·
      2 days ago

      Not to mention for a public figure to win on defamation they have to prove “malicious intent.” No way this is malicious when it’s literally the truth and public record lol

      • Lauchs@lemmy.world
        81·
        2 days ago

        when it’s literally the truth and public record lol

        It ain’t and that’s the crux of the lawsuit. Stephanopolous said trump had been liable for rape when in reality he’d been found liable for sexual assault. Rape is a different charge.

        It’s a subtle difference but it is one a veteran journalist would be expected to know, which is why the bar of him acting “with a reckless disregard for the truth” wouldn’t be unthinkable.

        Morally, yeah, I’m with you. But legally, ABC was on dicey ground. Maybe could win but damn, that’d be a battle. Stephanopolous would have to, in court, claim he didn’t understand the difference between the charges which isn’t a great look for an anchor.

        • pyre@lemmy.world
          8·
          2 days ago

          I thought the judge specifically said it was rape, despite the wording of the crime. that’s like saying they used the word “stole” when the public record says “embezzlement”. hardly an argument.

          • nzeayn@lemmy.world
            31·
            2 days ago

            a difference between rape and sexual assult is an argument designed into the system. not because theres an actual difference in the crime. because theres a difference between who each charge will be applied to. just like theft vs embezzlement.

      • finitebanjo@lemmy.world
        101·
        2 days ago

        In their defence, Trump is about to inaugurated POTUS again.

        Sure they could win, but is winning beneficial?

    • Lauchs@lemmy.world
      83·
      2 days ago

      The standards for a news reporter are probably a lot higher than for a normal citizen. Colloquial definition almost certainly doesn’t cut it.

      Especially as Stephanopolous somewhat goofed and repeatedly asserted trump had been found** liable of a crime** which was different from the crimes which he was actually guilty. (Ironically, I almost wonder if he’d been better off saying he raped Carroll as then you could more easily invoke the colloquial meaning defence whereas saying trump was found liable for rape changes the meaning subtly but meaningfully.)

      As a news reporter, he should have known that from a legal perspective trump had not been “found liable for rape.” It’s splitting hairs but that’s a lot of law. I would not want to argue it wasn’t reckless and injurious to trump’s “reputation”.

  • Fuck Yankies@lemmy.ml
    229·
    2 days ago

    The thing is, there has been no rape case on Trump - not really. I mean we all know, but the victims have been sufficiently suppressed, and without their testimony their case wouldn’t have a foot to stand on.

    But, this begs the question: why hasn’t Fox News been sued into oblivion?