Fox News reached a settlement Tuesday to pay $787.5 million to Dominion , the US voting machine maker it accuses of defamation, in a move that averted the network from a trial that would have been a test of the scope of freedom of expression granted to media in the United States.

Judge Eric Davis announced the settlement at the last minute, after the 12 jury members were selected and while the court was completing preparations to begin arguments in the case.

Dominion Voting Systems sued Fox News for $1.6 billion in March 2021, accusing the channel of promoting claims by Donald Trump that its machines were used to falsify the results of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost. In front of Joe Biden.

The company insists that "Fox News" broadcast the false information, although it is aware that it is not true.

"The parties have resolved their case," the judge told the Delaware Supreme Court, telling the jurors they could walk away.

Later, the defense attorney for "Dominion" announced that "Fox News" agreed to pay the company about $ 790 million as part of a settlement of the case.

"The settlement of $787.5 million that was reached today represents an acquittal and accountability," lawyer Justin Nelson said in a press conference in front of the court's headquarters.

Also, a spokesperson for the network issued a statement expressing its satisfaction with the settlement reached.

The statement acknowledged the court's finding that some of the claims about Dominion were "false," noting that the dispute was resolved "amicably."

Dominion says that the network began to support Trump's conspiracy theory, given that it lost its audience after it became the first television channel to decide the election result in the state of Arizona (southwest) in favor of Biden, which was practically an expectation that the Democratic candidate would win the presidency.

Fox News denies the defamation charge. And she stresses that all she did was convey Trump's accusations, not support them, noting that they are protected by the rights of freedom of expression guaranteed in the First Amendment to the US Constitution.

In pretrial hearings, Delaware Judge Eric Davis found there was no doubt that Fox had aired false statements about Dominion.

In order to win, Dominion had to prove that Fox News had indeed acted in bad faith, which is difficult to achieve and has been a cornerstone of US media law since 1964.

Fox News is staffed by a number of traditional journalists, but it dedicates the bulk of its airtime to commentators, including during some of its most-watched programs hosted by prominent conservative figures.

The Dominion lawsuit has already been an embarrassment to Fox, while Murdoch's Wall Street Journal reported that the channel is looking for ways to settle the case.

By reaching a settlement, Murdoch, 92, and well-known presenters such as Tucker Carlson managed to avoid testifying in court.

Murdoch acknowledged in an affidavit about the case that some presenters "endorsed" on air the unsubstantiated accusation that the 2020 election was stolen from Trump.

But he denied that the entire network promoted the allegations, according to documents filed by Dominion in court in February.

Dominion attorneys also published a set of internal conversations on Fox News in which some commentators expressed dislike of Trump despite praising him on air.

"I hate him so much," said Carlson, speaking of the former president after losing the election.

Fox News, in turn, accused Dominion of "picking and taking statements out of context."