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Deadline, TVWeek

Katie Couric, Epix Hit With $12 Million Defamation Lawsuit

Sep 13, 2016  •  Post A Comment

Veteran TV journalist Katie Couric and the Epix network have been sued for more than $12 million over the 2016 film “Under the Gun.” Narrated and executive produced by Couric, the film examines gun violence and gun control.

Deadline.com reports that the suit was filed by the Virginia Citizens Defense League, Patricia Webb and Daniel Hawes, who appear in the documentary.

The report quotes the suit saying Couric and Epix “manipulated the footage in service of an agenda: they wanted to establish that there is no basis for opposing universal background checks by fooling viewers into believing that even a panel of pro-Second Amendment advocates could not provide one.”

The defamation suit, which seeks a jury trial, was filed today in Virginia federal court against Couric, director Stephanie Soechtig, Atlas Films, and Epix as Studio 3 Partners LLC.

An Epix spokesperson said the claims are “completely without merit.” Couric and Soechtig, however, have reportedly previously admitted to editing the footage for dramatic effect.

The Epix spokesperson added: “Epix saw the Sundance screening and acquired the documentary at that time. The network had no role in its creation or production and should therefore not be a party to this lawsuit.”

under the gun epix

4 Comments

  1. Since, as of this writing, the second amendment is still considered a Constitutional Right, I would like to propose we carry this notion of universal background checks to cover the rest of our rights as expressed in the first 10 Amendments.

    How can the left refuse? Only people expressing second amendment rights are dangerous, you say? Nonsense! Check our history… it’s easy to make the case that expressing any of our rights (let alone the other 10 amendment rights) can be just as dangerous to society. Look at what expressing free speech and freedom of the press did to New York society during Boss Tweed’s time.

    Sauce for the goose and all that.

  2. “Epix saw the Sundance screening and acquired the documentary at that time.”

    That means Epix saw the “documentary” with the edit in place and never questioned it but rather decided to let it air as-is.

    That certainly seems like contributory negligence.

    I doubt Epix would have let other clearly defamatory content air without asking for edits regardless of their position in the original source’s creation.

  3. Liberals have been picking and choosing the rights and guarantees of our Constitution for two generations. If that document does not suit their agenda they say it is “outdated” and not in step with a modern world. But if the Constitution can be “interpreted” by liberal judges to serve the liberals – that is perfectly fine! The attempt to limit or remove guns from private citizens is 100% political. The Second Amendment specifically states that private ownership of guns is related to removing corrupt governments – not hunting or target sport! This is what motivates liberals to take this right away. Legal gun owners (not ex convicts, under age hoodlums, drug dealers and all the other vermine) are the single most law abiding group of Americans. Those licensed to carry a gun concealed even more so. That FACT does not fit the liberal agenda so they invented the term “Gun Violence” to fool the liberal fools! It is not about guns – it is about violence! Remove the gun and you still have violence. But focusing on the violence and the people behind that violence does not fit the liberal agenda! Liberals have not and will not keep you safe. The “feel good” nonsense they weave into their campaign speeches continue to work on uninformed voters so they keep telling the same lies. And nothing gets better – ever – under a liberal administration! If it did they would see a drop in the votes from people no longer dependent on handouts or afraid of every shadow. Poor economy and dangerous streets are the best friends of liberal Democrat politicians.

  4. Amen to this! I wonder if “Stop and Frisk” in Chicago would curtail the rampant violence in that city? Why hasn’t Rahm Emmanuel or the mayor thought of this????

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