A Florida jury on Friday reportedly determined that CNN was guilty for defaming a U.S. Navy veteran engaged in private evacuation efforts in Afghanistan, adversely impacting the network’s reputation and potentially exposing it to tens of millions of dollars in punitive penalties.
A six-member jury in Panama City granted a minimum of $5 million in damages to Zachary Young, the plaintiff who alleged that CNN inaccurately portrayed him as a criminal profiteer who capitalized on the suffering of Afghans attempting to flee Taliban control in 2021.
The jury additionally stated that Young may obtain more punitive damages and will now determine the amount.
CNN’s attorneys have asserted that the precarious financial prospects of the news media industry should be considered in their assessments, as punitive penalties are designed to penalize rather than obliterate defendants.
The case, among of a series of prominent defamation claims against major media entities, focused on a five-minute program that CNN initially broadcast in November 2021 following the tumultuous U.S. exit.
The narrative depicted the predicament of an Afghan-American guy residing in California, who discovered individuals on Facebook proposing to facilitate the safe passage of his family in Afghanistan for $100,000.
A headline displayed: “Afghans attempting to escape the Taliban confront black markets, exorbitant fees, and no assurance of safety or success.”
The last portion of the episode concentrated on Zachary Young, a 49-year-old security and intelligence consultant residing in Austria, who had experience in the U.S. Navy and the CIA.
CNN reports that Young advertised evacuations from Kabul to Pakistan for $75,000 per vehicle or $14,500 per person for flights to the United Arab Emirates on LinkedIn.
The program was broadcast on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper” and narrated by chief national security correspondent Alex Marquardt.
Young stated that his services are available to Afghans with sponsors capable of covering the expenses.
Young stated he was informed that the segment would center on him around two hours before to its broadcast and that he cautioned CNN that the narrative was defamatory.
Young’s complaint, filed in June 2022, alleged that CNN portrayed him as unlawfully exploiting Afghans targeted by the Taliban.
He stated that CNN failed to clarify that his clients were organizations and enterprises, such as Bloomberg and Audible, and that his fees were indicative of intricate evacuation logistics.
Young stated throughout the trial that the narrative’s depiction transformed him into a pariah within his industry and precipitated a descent into melancholy, insomnia, and panic attacks.
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