CNN found guilty in Florida trial of libeling Navy veteran in 2021 story about people paid to rescue endangered Afghans
A Florida jury on Friday ruled that CNN defamed a U.S. Navy veteran in a 2021 report about Taliban takeover of that country.
A jury in Panama City, Florida, deliberated for more than eight hours starting Thursday before finding in favor of Zachary Young. Zachary Young has accused CNN of ruining his business by putting his face on screen in a story about the “black market” for smuggling desperate Afghans. Charge high fees.
The jury awarded Yang $5 million in damages and is now being asked to determine whether CNN must pay additional punitive damages.
This is an unusual guilty verdict for a media organization defamation case. Defamation laws generally protect news organizations, and plaintiffs must meet a high standard to prove defamation.
2023, Dominion voting system After experiencing a historic victory $787 million settlement and Fox News into an investigation into allegations that the broadcaster defamed an election equipment company.
Young argued that his business was targeted at sponsors who could afford to pay Afghans to leave the country, rather than individual Afghans who charged up to $10,000 for their services. While CNN said its use of the term “black market” was wrong, it insisted its reporting on Yang was accurate.
“I know Zach feels heard, which is something he hasn’t felt in more than three years,” Young’s attorney, Devin Freedman, said after the verdict.
