CNN faces defamation trial over Afghanistan evacuation report

IN JUST A FEW MONTHS, CNN WILL BE HEADING TO COURT IN FLORIDA, TO FACE A DEFAMATION LAWSUIT. A U-S SECURITY CONTRACTOR INVOLVED IN EVACUATING CIVILIANS FROM AFGHANISTAN FOLLOWING THE 2021 U-S MILITARY WITHDRAWAL WANTS THE NEWS OUTLET TO ANSWER FOR REPORTS THAT HE SAYS DAMAGED HIS REPUTATION.

THE DEFAMATION LAWSUIT WAS FILED BY ZACHARY YOUNG, A NAVY VETERAN AND SECURITY CONTRACTOR, WHO SAYS CNN’S COVERAGE IN 2021 UNFAIRLY DEFAMED HIM AND DESTROYED HIS BUSINESS. YOUNG’S COMPANY, NEMEX ENTERPRISES, HAD CHARGED FEES TO HELP PEOPLE FLEE AFGHANISTAN AFTER THE U-S WITHDRAWAL. IN THE SEGMENT, CNN DISPLAYED YOUNG’S IMAGE ABOVE A GRAPHIC READING, “AFGHANS TRYING TO FLEE TALIBAN FACE BLACK MARKETS, EXORBITANT FEES, NO GUARANTEE OF SAFETY OR SUCCESS.” 

AFTER YOUNG OBJECTED, CNN REMOVED THE PHRASE “BLACK MARKET” FROM ITS WEB STORY AND ISSUED AN ON-AIR APOLOGY, CLARIFYING HE WAS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY ILLEGAL ACTIVITY.

YOUNG ARGUES CNN’S GLOBAL REACH IRREPARABLY HARMED HIS BUSINESS BY PORTRAYING HIS WORK IN A NEGATIVE LIGHT. IN JUNE, A FLORIDA APPEALS COURT FOUND ENOUGH EVIDENCE TO ALLOW YOUNG TO SEEK PUNITIVE DAMAGES, RULING THAT A JURY COULD DETERMINE WHETHER CNN ACTED WITH “NEGLIGENCE AND ACTUAL MALICE.”

A TRIAL IS SET TO BEGIN JANUARY 6, WITH CNN’S JOURNALISTS AND PRODUCERS EXPECTED TO TESTIFY. EVIDENCE IN THE CASE INCLUDES INTERNAL TEXT MESSAGES FROM CNN JOURNALISTS CALLING YOUNG OFFENSIVE NAMES, AND SOME EDITORS REPORTEDLY QUESTIONING WHETHER THE STORY WAS READY TO AIR. CNN ARGUES THESE MESSAGES ARE TYPICAL NEWSROOM TALK ABOUT SUBJECTS UNDER INVESTIGATION AND DO NOT SHOW INTENT TO PUBLISH FALSE INFORMATION.

THOUGH IT PREVIOUSLY APOLOGIZED, CNN MAINTAINS THAT THE TERM “BLACK MARKET” SIMPLY REFERRED TO UNREGULATED SYSTEMS HELPING AFGHANS ESCAPE AND WAS NOT MEANT TO SUGGEST YOUNG’S ACTIONS WERE CRIMINAL. 

OTHER RECENT DEFAMATION CASES HAVE LED TO MAJOR SETTLEMENTS, INCLUDING FOX NEWS’S $787 MILLION PAYOUT TO DOMINION VOTING SYSTEMS OVER FALSE CLAIMS OF VOTER FRAUD.

IF THE CASE PROCEEDS, IT COULD INVITE MORE PUBLIC SCRUTINY TO HOW NEWS ORGANIZATIONS HANDLE COMPLEX ALLEGATIONS.

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