Paris mayor may sue Fox News over no-go-zones report

Roger Yu | USA TODAY

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo told CNN Tuesday that she may sue Fox News because the network "insulted" the city with its coverage of "no-go zones" that are supposedly only for Muslim residents.

Such zones don't exist and Fox News has repeatedly apologized for the errors.

"When we're insulted, and when we've had an image, then I think we'll have to sue, I think we'll have to go to court, in order to have these words removed," CNN quoted Hidalgo as saying to the network's Christiane Amanpour. "The image of Paris has been prejudiced, and the honor of Paris has been prejudiced."

Michael Clemente, executive vice president for news at Fox News said in a statement: "We empathize with the citizens of France as they go through a healing process and return to everyday life. However, we find the Mayor's comments regarding a lawsuit misplaced."

"We have made some regrettable errors regarding the Muslim population in Europe, particularly in regard to England and France," a Fox News anchor said Monday on air. "We deeply regret the errors and apologize to any and all who may have taken offense, including the people of France."

In a series of reports that have been widely criticized and mocked, Fox News reported that some neighborhoods in Paris are so heavily Muslim that some young men openly wore Osama bin Laden T-shirts. Displaying a map that supposedly outlines these "no-go zones," Fox News also reported that terrorists groups recruit members in the areas.

A French TV show later explained that the map actually shows the zones in the city that are targeted for development based on residents' income levels and employment rates.

Another Fox segment, with host Jeanine Pirro interviewing guest Steven Emerson, reported that Birmingham, England, is totally Muslim and other cities in Europe have zones that are dominated by Muslims, operate Sharia courts and police fear to enter.

"When I heard this, frankly, I choked on my porridge and I thought it must be April Fool's Day," British Prime Minister David Cameron told ITV News. "This guy is clearly a complete idiot."

Still, Paris would have a "difficult" case against Fox News in the U.S. since the city would be treated as a public figure, says Karl Kronenberger, partner attorney at Kronenberger Rosenfeld LLP.

Paris "would need to prove that the information published by Fox News was false and that the information was published with actual malice," he said.