John Barnett had worked for Boeing for 32 years, until his retirement in 2017.

In the days before his death, he had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company.

Boeing said it was saddened to hear of Mr Barnett’s passing. The Charleston County coroner confirmed his death to the BBC on Monday.

It said the 62-year-old had died from a “self-inflicted” wound on 9 March and police were investigating.

  • gibmiser@lemmy.world
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    9 months ago

    Why don’t news organizations address the elephant in the room? They can say there is no evidence of foul play but the circumstances warrant further investigation as his death is quite convenient for Bowing. I don’t see how that could be libelous.

    • JimmyBigSausage@lemm.ee
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      9 months ago

      Because news organizations no longer do any work investigating, only propagandizing for the sweet greenback$. 💰

      • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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        9 months ago

        That’s simply not true. Defamation/libel against a public company requires “actual malice”, which essentially means that the news outlet would have to have evidence that what they’re saying is not true.

        Fox was going to lose to Dominion because they 100% knew they were lying about the company, and there were records proving it. It’s not actually common at all for cases regarding defamation against public figures or corporations to go anywhere.

          • chiliedogg@lemmy.world
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            9 months ago

            I’m bringing it up because it was a remarkably rare thing that recently happened.

            The reason Fox lies 50 times a minute is because defamation is incredibly difficult to prove.

      • fosho@lemmy.ca
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        9 months ago

        did you even read the comment you’re responding to?

          • fosho@lemmy.ca
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            9 months ago

            You absolutely did not. The question was not: “Why don’t news organizations claim Boeing execs murdered a guy…?” The commenter was clearly aware of the problem of libel, which you completely ignored. They asked why news orgs aren’t discussing the fact that the death comes at a suspiciously convenient time - because they aren’t. This is not the same as claiming that he was murdered by Boeing.

              • fosho@lemmy.ca
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                9 months ago

                it’s not libelous to discuss the elephant in the room. you did not explain anything. you just disregarded the question with your assumption.

                  • fosho@lemmy.ca
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                    8 months ago

                    wowdaft. it couldn’t be more clear that the suggestion is discussing the suspicious nature WITHOUT making direct accusations.