Maybe I'm oblivious to recent trends in this space - but might there be some applicable laws, if the authors cared to hire lawyers?
In the timeline we are in you just gift cash, a golden idol or a peace prize to government officials and the laws won't apply to you... especially not if the people that are suing you are part of the "legacy" media.
Governments are deprecating legacy media. Tech oligarchs are in now.
The verge does have lawyers on staff (obviously, as does any media organisation of a certain size). I would be sure they have consulted with them, but there is also a story in this.