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[NEWS] Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - Printable Version

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Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - CrimsonPhantom - 12-03-2019 08:14 PM

Quote:If Rachel Maddow loses her $10 million defamation case brought by the owner of San Diego-based One America News Network, she can blame, in part, a UC Santa Barbara linguistics professor.

The professor, Stefan Thomas Gries, argues in a long analysis of Maddow’s on-air speech patterns that when she says “literally,” she means “in fact.”

Judge Cynthia Bashant in downtown San Diego federal court will hear both sides Dec. 16 in a hearing on an anti-SLAPP motion.

Lawyers for the MSNBC host said in that Oct. 21 motion that Bashant should throw out the suit by Herring Networks because Maddow was merely using hyperbole — and expressing her own opinion — when she said: OAN “really literally is paid Russian propaganda.”

Lawyers for Maddow’s employers, including Comcast, said OAN didn’t dispute that for more than four years Kristian Brunovich Rouz wrote about 1,300 articles for the Russian news agency Sputnik and that “Sputnik News is affiliated with the Russian government.”

Maddow lawyer Theodore J. “Ted” Boutrous Jr. argued that the liberal host was clearly offering up her “own unique expression” of her views to capture what she saw as the “ridiculous” nature of the undisputed facts.

“Her comment, therefore, is a quintessential statement ‘of rhetorical hyperbole, incapable of being proved true or false,’” he said.

The anti-SLAPP statute allows targets of certain lawsuits to ask a court to dismiss a complaint when it involves the rights of petition and free speech. (SLAPP stands for “strategic lawsuit against public participation.”)

But UCSB professor Gries, retained by Herring as an expert witness, says he reviewed the July 22, 2019, segment in question and concludes “it is very unlikely that an average or reasonable/ordinary viewer would consider the sentence in question to be a statement of opinion.”

West German-born Gries, who also speaks Russian and German, said in a legal filing Monday that, according to Google Scholar, “I am the second most widely-cited cognitive linguist and sixth most widely-cited living corpus linguist. The field of cognitive linguistics draws from both linguistics and psychology and studies how language interacts with cognition.”

In a response totaling 93 pages, Herring lawyer Amnon Siegel says Gries conducted a thorough analysis of Maddow’s segment, “identifying and analyzing linguistic markers (including words, tone, and cadence) used by Maddow.”

“Maddow did not use any typical opinion-markers when she stated that OAN ‘really literally is paid Russian propaganda,’” he said.

Siegel said Maddow is not the sort of person an audience would expect to misuse “literally.”

“She is a graduate of Stanford and Oxford Universities and a Rhodes Scholar,” he said. “In fact, on the show, Maddow regularly uses ‘literally’ in its primary meaning,” as she did in these examples:

“Meanwhile, today the Trump administration tried to push through one of the most controversial judicial nominees of Trump’s time in office. They literally nominated him to the job two days ago.”
“It’s literally an emergency, a formally declared emergency.”
The U.S. military [is] apparently diverting C17 cargo flights to stop at President Trump’s golf course in Scotland, literally to have U.S. airmen stay at his golf resort.”
And: “They are literally de-funding the day care center at Andrews Air Force Base.”

Thus Maddow’s use of “literally” is consistent, he said, and “her audience would not have understood her assertion that OAN ‘really literally is paid Russian propaganda’ as metaphorical hyperbole.”

Contacted Tuesday, Gries couldn’t respond to questions about his expert-witness record at trial and other issues, saying: “I’m sorry I can’t be more forthcoming at this time.”

In a declaration attached to the response, Herring Networks president Charles Herring says that prior to The Daily Beast article that Maddow cited in her segment, “Herring Networks did not know that Rouz also wrote articles for Sputnik News.”

“Neither Maddow nor anyone from Comcast Corporation, NBCUniversal Media, LLC, or MNSBC Cable LLC contacted OAN or Herring Networks prior to televising the segment,” Herring added in an apparent attempt to show Maddow didn’t care to check on the accuracy of her statement. (A “reckless disregard” for the truth is a factor in libel actions.)

Herring further declared: “Neither OAN nor Herring Networks has ever received money from Russia or the Russian government, and none of OAN’s content is influenced by Russians or the Russian government. In fact, Herring Networks is exclusively financed by the Herring Family and has never received outside investment.”

Siegel, one of four Miller Barondess attorneys for Herring, supplied nearly three dozen federal and state court citations and statutes to prove his case.

Among them: Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary definitions of “really” and “literally.”

Link

They claim immunity on the grounds of "lack of intent", and yet constantly claim that the president is willfully an asset of Russia.




RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - TigerBlue4Ever - 12-03-2019 08:20 PM

I hope they nail her to the wall, not literally of course.


RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - CrimsonPhantom - 12-03-2019 08:33 PM

(12-03-2019 08:20 PM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  I hope they nail her to the wall, not literally of course.

Thats a bat signal to Harris.


RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - Hambone10 - 12-03-2019 09:17 PM

Let me get this straight....

The words, 'Really literally' actually mean, 'not really and not literally'?

That is the actual defense.

Even more hilarious is that the OTHER part of the defense is that OAN IS REALLY LITERALLY an agent of Russia

They are simultaneously arguing that they didn't mean it really literally, but they actually DO mean it, really literally


RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - bullet - 12-03-2019 09:31 PM

I do hope she gets nailed. Its time to hold the Democrats and Dem media to the same standards normal people face.


RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - dfarr - 12-03-2019 09:34 PM

She shoulda gone with the Twinkie defense instead


RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - Redwingtom - 08-18-2021 06:05 AM

Not only did Maddow "win" when this original suit was tossed in May of 2020, but OAN has now been ordered to pay MSNBC/Maddow nearly $250,000 (and perhaps more) in legal fees after losing another appeal.

Quote:After MSNBC and Maddow later asked for the right-wing channel to pay $350,000 in legal fees, the court permanently dismissed the case this past February and awarded MSNBC and Maddow a total of $247,667.50.

At the time of the February ruling, however, OAN president Charles Herring still expressed confidence that he would win on appeal, saying that he was “pleased that the [legal] fees were reduced” by the court.

“The case is currently under appeal and we’re highly confident that we’ll receive a favorable and just ruling in the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit,” he added. Herring’s appeal was also based on the district court ruling in favor of Maddow’s anti-SLAPP motion against OAN.

Not only was that not the case on Tuesday, but OAN may actually have to pay more in legal fees due to dragging out the process in court.
OAN Loses Appeal Against Maddow, Must Pay MSNBC at Least $250,000


RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - stinkfist - 08-18-2021 06:30 AM

literally = figuratively in today’s upside down ‘murica…


RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - MemTigers1998 - 08-18-2021 07:29 AM

In fairness, her viewers, no matter how few there are, REALLY are some of the most gullible, stupid and naive people walking this Earth. LITERALLY.

Wonder if Maddow still stands up to pee.


RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - rath v2.0 - 08-18-2021 07:40 AM

I mean her defense was nobody really thinks what she does is news. I thought it was a valid point.


RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - BartlettTigerFan - 08-18-2021 07:43 AM

Not sure why the commie thinks this is news?


RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - Was SoMs Eagle - 08-18-2021 08:20 AM

Someone should literally send her to interview the taliban with a one way ticket.


RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - Eldonabe - 08-18-2021 08:28 AM

(08-18-2021 08:20 AM)Was SoMs Eagle Wrote:  Someone should literally send her to interview the taliban with a one way ticket.

You could give her round a round trip ticket for the optics... don't worry though she would not return.


RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - Cletus - 08-18-2021 08:28 AM

(12-03-2019 09:17 PM)Hambone10 Wrote:  Let me get this straight....

The words, 'Really literally' actually mean, 'not really and not literally'?

That is the actual defense.

Even more hilarious is that the OTHER part of the defense is that OAN IS REALLY LITERALLY an agent of Russia

They are simultaneously arguing that they didn't mean it really literally, but they actually DO mean it, really literally

[Image: 200w.gif?cid=82a1493bzugdhkuenbvs0jofl02...d=200w.gif]


RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - VA49er - 08-18-2021 08:47 AM

(08-18-2021 07:43 AM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  Not sure why the commie thinks this is news?

Distracting from the Biden's disastrous Afghan withdrawal.


RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - BartlettTigerFan - 08-18-2021 08:51 AM

(08-18-2021 08:47 AM)VA49er Wrote:  
(08-18-2021 07:43 AM)BartlettTigerFan Wrote:  Not sure why the commie thinks this is news?

Distracting from the Biden's disastrous Afghan withdrawal.

Of course


RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - Eldonabe - 08-18-2021 09:21 AM

If you strip away who and what and just look at the facts I think you can come to a reasonable and common sense conclusion.

- Person A hosts a television show. The show is a news and opinion based format.
- Person A makes a statement about person/company B. The factual nature of the statement is debatable.
- Within the statement made, Person A uses the word "literally" as a descriptor in the statement.


QUESTIONS:
What does the word "literally" mean?
Was use of the word stated as matter of fact or within a rhetorical statement?
Does the nature of the comment even matter - meaning was it an opinion of the speaker or a report of an actual news event by the speaker?


The speaker (as previously noted) has presented this statement on a television show with a viewership of people: whom can be reasonably assumed to listen to and believe the statements of the speaker.


If the speaker's statement is not factual, but it is presented by the speaker as factual and further accentuated with specific word(s) as emphasis - the speaker should be accountable (liable) if that statement is actually proven to be false: The speaker does have some influence over persons who then repeat this non factual statement as factual (based on the original speakers statement).


Use of the word "literally" is akin to using the word "allegedly".

"Allegedly" allows for plausible deniability and room for interpretation ("one might have done it"); while the word "Literally" is a pretty rock solid assertion of truth to the statement - ("One did it").


RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - umbluegray - 08-18-2021 09:26 AM

(12-03-2019 08:20 PM)TigerBlue4Ever Wrote:  I hope they nail her to the wall, not literally of course.

Well played.

04-cheers


RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - georgia_tech_swagger - 08-18-2021 11:13 AM






RE: Rachel Maddow Faces Slapdown by UC Linguistics Professor in Defamation Suit - Marc Mensa - 08-18-2021 11:35 AM

OAN to pay Maddow’s legal fees after losing defamation suit…

https://www.yahoo.com/news/oan-parent-company-ordered-pay-145727763.html