Court records show political pressure behind Fox programming

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of pages of documents in a recent lawsuit show that Fox News’ top executives sometimes were actively involved in politics rather than simply reporting or offering opinions on it. The documents were released as part of a libel lawsuit that voting machine company Dominion Voting Systems has filed against Fox over its airing of disproven allegations that the firm took part in a vast conspiracy to steal the 2020 presidential election. Fox has defended its behavior as standard reporting on a newsworthy story. But the documents show how Fox’s founder, Rupert Murdoch, suggested his staff intervene in Republican Party primaries and even assisted President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign.