Lawyers for security consultant say CNN report on Afghan evacuations destroyed his career
lawyers for a former U.S Navy serviceman asserted on Tuesday that his professional standing and income-earning ability had been significantly harmed due to a 2021 CNN article alleging war profiteers, published shortly after the U.S military’s exit from Afghanistan.
Zachary Young filed a lawsuit against the media network due to an article published on November 11, 2021 by their lead national security correspondent, Alex Marquardt. The article detailed the excessive costs being imposed on Afghans as they sought help in leaving Afghanistan.
A former Blackwater employee, who also works as a security consultant, claims that the four-minute video depiction of him broke the law by misrepresenting his actions.
The individual leading a Florida-based business in Boca Raton was contracted by various corporations to evacuate their staff from Afghanistan. He publicized his services on LinkedIn. However, following the airing of a report about him on CNN’s television networks and online platforms, his lawyers reported a significant drop in his annual income from $350,000 to zero.
In the court trial held in Bay County, Florida, the jury will be tasked with deciding if CNN journalists intentionally published false information without proper regard for the truth, a term known as ‘actual malice’. If the jurors rule that CNN is at fault, they have the power to compensate Young financially for both lost business income and emotional distress.
Media firms often choose to resolve defamation lawsuits before they reach trial, even if it means a hefty cost. In the previous year, for instance, Fox News paid Dominion Voting Systems $787.5 million due to incorrect statements made about their company during election fraud reports linked to President-elect Donald Trump. The reason behind this settlement was likely to prevent the company’s executives from facing public scrutiny in court.
However, CNN upholds Marquardt’s report. The ongoing defamation trial serves as a barometer for public opinion towards mainstream media, given persistent right-wing criticisms aimed at undermining their credibility.
Hollywood Inc.
Since Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss in the 2024 presidential election to former President Trump on November 5, there has been a significant exodus of viewers from MSNBC, a left-leaning cable news channel owned by Comcast. The channel’s viewership during the first 10 months of 2024 is down by a staggering 46% compared to the same period in the previous year.
In the jury of six individuals, all hail from Bay County, a region that saw Trump, a frequent critic of biased media, receive an impressive 73% of votes in the 2024 presidential election.
In simpler terms, Young’s lawsuit argues that CNN incorrectly used the term “black market” during a news broadcast featuring Marquardt’s report on “The Lead with Jake Tapper.” Young, who was the only person named in the segment, claims the use of this term gave a misleading impression that he was involved in illicit activities and mistreated Afghans by implying they were part of an illegal market.
During the court proceedings, CNN’s lawyer, David Axelrod, contested Young’s assertion that the report had harmed his business or image. Axelrod pointed out that several communications and interactions related to Young’s activities were removed from various platforms after the CNN article was published.
Axelrod stated, “You’ll find that the reporting by CNN… was correct and no witness will be able to claim that they had a lower opinion of Mr. Young as a result.
Axelrod additionally noted that Young’s actions were never labeled as criminal. Instead, the phrase “underground market” was employed in the article to denote unsupervised transactions, which specifically did not implicate Young himself.
Young’s attorney Kyle Roche argued that the dictionary defines black market as illegal.
CNN host Tapper publicly apologized for using the questionable term towards Young, as he raised objections five months following the initial broadcast of the story.
Roche’s initial argument centered around the derogatory internal messages and emails exchanged between Marquardt and his team regarding Young, which were sent during their persistent pursuit of the story.
“I’m going to nail that Zachary Young mother———,” Marquardt wrote in one text.
“I’m going to hold you to that cowboy,” the producer replied.
According to Roche, the emails and secret videos reveal that CNN enjoyed portraying [Young] as the antagonist for their sensational report.
As a dedicated cinephile, I must admit that there were initial doubts among executives about the tale – at one point, they compared its inconsistencies to Swiss cheese’s numerous holes as per internal correspondence. However, after rigorous scrutiny and evaluation, it ultimately made its way through their screening process and was considered fit for broadcast, as Axelrod pointed out.
“There is nothing false about Mr. Young in any of it,” Axelrod said.
Despite declining an interview with CNN, Young confirmed through text messages the expensive nature of his services. Furthermore, the broadcasted text exchange also indicated that Young engaged in transactions with corporate sponsors.
The report stated, “When someone extends help, it’s important to realize that they might have a supporter covering their evacuation expenses.
In the courtroom, young man assumed his position on the witness stand, spending a significant portion of the proceedings responding to queries regarding his familial ties, past military service, and his professional history in corporate security.
CNN’s Marquardt is expected to testify in the trial, which resumes Wednesday.
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2025-01-08 03:01