Glenn Greenwald - Court Rules Rachel Maddow's Viewers Know She Lies. Does a media opinion person lie about you? Too bad, according to some modern courts. Dismissing claims against both left and right wing pundits, courts have ruled that viewers know that commentary is sprinkled with false statements and exaggerations. Therefore, a defamation claim is defeated because the recipients know better. As a lawyer, I have some trouble with this, since it seems to me that false statements can be couched in terms of opinion, and made with impunity. This isn't a political issue, because, as Mr. Greenwald points out, the defense has been used by pundits and corporations on both sides of the spectrum. Perhaps the fault lies with us, dear reader. Are there any critical viewers or consumers of media left in our world? Or, are we doomed to, as Greenwald puts it, "turn off the TV", and live without a reliable source of facts and truth. The obliteration of truth has served as the death knell for other civilizations in the past. What is in our future? 