Florida jury convicts CNN of defamation of Navy veteran in Afghan story

A Florida jury on Friday found CNN guilty of defaming a US Navy veteran in a 2021 article about people paid to save Afghans in danger after the Taliban took control of that country.

The jury in Panama City, Fla., deliberated for more than eight hours starting Thursday before finding in favor of Zachary Young, who accused CNN of destroying his business by showing his face on screen in a news report on a “black market” that was smuggled out in a desperate manner. Afghans for high fees.

The jury awarded Young $5 million in damages and is now asked to determine whether CNN must pay additional punitive damages.

This is an unusual guilty verdict against a media outlet in a defamation case. Defamation laws generally protect news organizations, and plaintiffs must meet a high standard to prove defamation.

Young had argued that his company targeted sponsors who could afford to pay for Afghans to leave, not individual Afghans charging up to $10,000 for the service. Although CNN said it was wrong to use the term “black market,” it maintained its reporting on Young was accurate.

“I know Zach feels heard in a way he hasn’t felt in over three years,” Young’s attorney, Devin Freedman, said after the verdict.